RAR Dublin Protest: Refugees Are Welcome!

by Des Derwin Sat Mar 26, 2005 17:51

And Joe Higgins, of course.

by Des Derwin Sat Mar 26, 2005 17:34 dderwin at gofree dot indigo dot ie

David Landy says:

"Some truth about personalisation sometimes undercutting campaigns, but the X-case for example was also about an individual. It is this personalisation which motivates people - the realisation that refugees aren't just statistics to feel guilty about, but flesh-and-blood people like anyone else living in the island... Also I would think that this temporary victory which has been won, motivates people for further activities... Let's face it, the issue isn't in the end merely about abstract principles."

David Landy is SO right. Kunle is the X case of the anti racist movement. (More: he is a known person, while the identity of X had to be hidden.) The X case began a movement. The first X case rally was FAR bigger than Wednesday, overwhelming those that had slogged the lonely road up to that. But, as David says, "this temporary victory which has been won, motivates people for further activities..." That's how movements advance in the real world. As David also says, "Let's face it, the issue isn't in the end merely about abstract principles."

Thanks JD, Palmerstown and Rosanna.

by Anthony G Fri Mar 25, 2005 14:11

In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is widely referred to as "Paddy's Day" by Irish Christians and seculars alike. No offense is meant to either the dead saint or anyone else by this coloquiallism.

However in Ireland, the word "nigger" is used (almost) exclusively as an offensive and derogatory term.

by eeekkkk Fri Mar 25, 2005 14:04

she didn't go up to anyone and call them a paddy - unless you were there and can tell me otherwise?

by Adrian Dempsey Fri Mar 25, 2005 13:54

Tell me this.So it is my fault that i have chosen to be offended. And Nigerian people have not been guilty of oppressing Irish people?
Well if thats the case I'll go up and call the woman holding the sign a Nigger.If she gets offended by that well its her fault because she chose to take offence to the remark.This will be totally acceptable because there is no history of Irish people oppressing Nigerians.
Is this what you lot of hypocritical idiots are trying to say?

by pat (paddy) c Thu Mar 24, 2005 18:43

get a life. i remember a while back some dumdums in the US getting upset because a copvan was called a paddywagon. it was called that because the paddys were the cops in the front.

by Paddy Athenry Thu Mar 24, 2005 18:40

Adrian, if you are offended it is because you have CHOSEN to become offended. YOUR choice, not the lady holding the sign. Being offended is a CHOICE. You made it! You alone control your thoughts¬ You could just as easily have chosen NOT to be offended. Why didn't you? Get a life!

Paddy

by Badman Thu Mar 24, 2005 18:29

Paddy is short for Patrick in this country. Paddy's day is not referring to Irishman's day, it's refering to st Patrick's day.

If you get offended by a nigerian calling patrick's day, 'paddy's day' you are an idiot who wants to be offended. Even if it was used as slang for Irish people, which it isn't in this case, there is no historical oppression of Irish people by Nigerians and thus it has no relation to the use of any racially derogatory term by white people against blacks, or against Irish people by English folk.

by CCCP Thu Mar 24, 2005 18:21

I know "Paddys Day" has slipped into the vernacular along with idiotic leprachaun hats and rugby shirts but that doesn't make it alright, it's like Irish people who refer to black marias as "paddywagons". People have every right to be offended by the unthinking incorporation of cultural colonialism into the hiberno-english vernacular.

by very bored with this crap Thu Mar 24, 2005 17:52

She's holding up a sign saying amongst other things 'Paddy's Day'

by Travis Thu Mar 24, 2005 17:38

I think Ado has a valid point.I think it is o.k for one irishperson to refer to another one as paddy but when used by someone else it is very offensive.
Black people call each other nigger frequently however it is very offensive for a white person to refer to a black person as a nigger.

by ex-pioneer Thu Mar 24, 2005 16:47

"it shouldn`t be applied to the patron saint"
Maybe the feast of the patron saint shouldn`t be about getting drunk in the first place?
Thank you,Paula :-)

by eeekkkk Thu Mar 24, 2005 15:28

who go round saying 'happy paddy's day' to each other on 17 march each year

really dude - get a grip

by Adrian Dempsey Thu Mar 24, 2005 15:24

What has google got to do with anything?If you typed in nigger you would get a lot of links aswell.
Fact is Paddy is a term coined by english people to describe the Irish in a derogotory manner.It should not be applied to the patron saint of this country.

by A Proud Paddy Thu Mar 24, 2005 15:17

Adrian, maybe the lady holding the placard is not aware of the cultural or historical use of the term ‘Paddy’. I am sure that she would not deliberately set out to cause offence to anyone. My friends and I have always used the term ‘Paddy’s Day’ amongst ourselves to describe ‘St. Patricks Day’ (which has a very catholic meaning for me). Personally, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

by seedot Thu Mar 24, 2005 15:13

Googling Paddys day gives 23,900 links including dublin.ie (the corpo site) browseireland, nuigalway etc etc.

Couldn't see anything derogatory in the first few pages.

by Adrian Dempsey - None Thu Mar 24, 2005 15:03

I take great offence to the 4th photo down in which a black lady is seen holding a placard with "Paddys Day" written on it.
Paddy is a racist term used by mainly english people to describe the Irish.
It is called St.Patricks day and the term Paddys Day is extremely derogoratory and should not be used by anyone who does not wish to cause offence.

by Related Links Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:35

Olunkunle Eluhanla being brought back
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69101

Protests Against Recent Deportations From Ireland To Take Place In Seven Cities
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69072

Belfast Picket Against Recent Deportations
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69086

Residents Against Racism Protest - Mar 16
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69008

Large Scale Deportation in Progress / RAR call Protest for Wednesday at 12.30pm at GNIB Burgh Quay
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68976

In 2004

Bertie's 'No Borders Europe' is a Farce - Residents Against Racism Protests Mass-Deportations at Dáil Éireann
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=63474

Immigrants March to the Dail - with babies in buggies!
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=60264

by eeekkkkk Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:14

David; I'm not saying that the campaigners (esp RAR) are in any way involved in this extreme personalisation. The media are the worst culprits but some politicians play into their hands on this. This in the end plays into mcdowells hands. He can be 'hard but with a heart'. The Church / Fintan O Toole/ eamonn Dunphy / everybody else from the great and the good can come out and sound nice for a few hours while forgetting for instance the mothers seperated from their kids. Nobody in the MSM really talks in detail about the inhumane systemic fear and insecurity this government approach causes for others waiting around for years in suspended animation. I mean do they all think it would have been all right if he had just finished his leaving to chuck him out? It is sad when the liberals here generally won't put their heads above the parapet about these despicable mass midnight deportations until a bunch of schoolchildren lead the way and shame them into breaking their usual deafening silence.

I was glad to hear the teacher from the school state clearly on the radio after this news broke that there were many many other cases where deportation should not even be considered as an option. I also have nothing but admiration for the kids involved. They are worth more than all the 'anti-racism' efforts of the FF/PD government put together and I am in no way taking from them and their fight to get their friend back.

by Noise Hacker Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:02

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by D Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:58

- Much more to be done

by David Landy Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:52 finnlandy at hotmail dot com

Some truth about personalisation sometimes undercutting campaigns, but the X-case for example was also about an individual. It is this personalisation which motivates people - the realisation that refugees aren't just statistics to feel guilty about, but flesh-and-blood people like anyone else living in the island.

Also I would think that this temporary victory which has been won, motivates people for further activities. At the least it shows the government that there's actually a level of racist actions which people find unacceptable.

Others can confirm, but I think other countries refugee-rights campaigns also revolve around individuals and personalisation. Let's face it, the issue isn't in the end merely about abstract principles.

David

by ;-) Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:36

" all power to the junior cert! "

"i've had a think and resized the issue".

by eeekkkkk Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:09

09:46 Thursday March 24th 2005

The Government has decided to allow a Leaving Cert student who was deported to Nigeria last week to return for six months to complete his studies.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister Michael McDowell flatly rejected calls from opposition politicians for Kunle Eluhanla to be allowed to return to Ireland.

However, at a hastily arranged press conference this morning, Mr McDowell said he had reflected on the matter overnight and had decided that his original decision was wrong.

He said Mr Eluhanla would be granted a six-month student visa and would be contacted by the Irish Embassy in Lagos today to arrange his return to Ireland.

Mr Eluhanla was among 35 Nigerians deported to Lagos on a specially chartered flight last Monday following the rejection of their asylum applications.

Several hundred people, including many his fellow students from Palmerstown Community College, mounted a protest outside the Dail yesterday to express their disgust at the move.

by eeekkkk Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:06

and is giving the leaving cert student a six month visa to return.

That's the drawback of this kind of campaign becoming personalised about one hard case.

The Government back down on the individual case and make it seem like everything is alright and that they have a heart - meanwhile the deportations continue.

An ongoing non-emergency campaign for a general ammnesty for families here is long overdue.

by Rasta4i's Thu Mar 24, 2005 00:58 www.indymedia.ie

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/23305nodepoortation.wmv


. We are all human beings. Here are a few clips from to days protest out side the department of injustice.
video: windows media at 7.2 mebibytes

Notice that the Irish 6 o clock news won’t project the views and struggle of the people to whom this protest is for. It is the fault of the government and the bias nature of the right wing media, why there is so much “bar stool” racism in this country. The thoughts and views of the masses are constructed by these Media fools, it has got to stop or we the people will stand up and do something about it. Remember we have to pay license fees and where dose that money go? In to the hands of the (Racist Terrorist Engagement). Lock your doors RTE or change your ways.

by Paula Wed Mar 23, 2005 22:51

Sorry ex-pioneer! credit where credit is due, Fantastic photos! :~)

by community blackguard Wed Mar 23, 2005 22:31

by organising a nigerian v. gardaí football match.
but I haven't got the permission from the minister.
I suppose these kids won't be considering a career in the force, just as well, you don't stand a chance in hell of getting a split level holiday home in Roscommon, having a really powerful go at SF/IRA, or over valueing drugs by a few hundred thousand squid in the rank and file gardaí.

= "junior cert - earn your colours = write your postcards!".
to:-

"Big Swinging Mickey Deputy Mc Dowell"
Minister of Justice,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.

by Paula Geraghty Wed Mar 23, 2005 22:22 mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

Congrats to all there. Like Deirdre I'm not around, but it is great to see resistance to this appalling racism.

by Deirdre Clancy Wed Mar 23, 2005 21:52

Thanks redjade for such a comprehensive photo-essay. I was sorry I couldn't be there. Those secondary school students give me hope for the future of the country!

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:18

http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:16

{ photos by redjade } ©
Palmerstown school kids, Athlone, Amsterdam, Liverpool UK and Belfast - and Dublin, as well!

Lots of energy and more to come in the days ahead....

http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:12

{ photos by redjade } ©

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:11

{ photos by redjade } ©
http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:08

{ photos by redjade } ©
http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:06

{ photos by redjade } ©
http://www.residentsagainstracism.org

by redjade Wed Mar 23, 2005 19:02 dublinphoto at gmail dot com

{ photos by redjade } ©
School kids march on Dáil Éireann then to Min. of Justice

by James R Wed Mar 23, 2005 17:08

http://www.ucdsu.net/newswire.php?story_id=513&condense_comments=false#comment2258

by ex-Pioneer Wed Mar 23, 2005 16:47

http://www.residentsagainstracism.org