State tries to muzzle debate

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Thursday October 11, 2007 22:37

by Seán Ryan

There was a protest today outside the Department of Justice to demand that the State not attempt to impose censorship on activists.

Even when you bring the news to them they will not bring it to you

A small group of Anti-War activists (15 or so) gathered today 11-10-07 outside the Department of Justice to protest against the State stomping upon free speech and free association. The Hypocrites in Government and opposition, despite whinging and wailing about democratic rights and rights of peaceful protest in the likes of Burma, have actively conspired on behalf of their American betters and masters, to prevent Ibrahim Mussawi from entering Ireland and addressing the international peace conference on Saturday.

Alan Shatter, a man known for his vow of secrecy and silence, with regard to important issues like Rossport, Tara and the illegal facilitation of the US war machine's illegal wars, has tried to impose his philosophy on Anti-War activists after being instructed by his non-Irish masters to do so.

The fence sitters in Government have complied with Mr. Shatter's 'requests' by doing nothing beause they didn't want to be seen to be actively trouncing democratic values. Instead they have in a weak and cowardly fashion delayed on granting Ibrahim Mussawi a visa to enter our country. It is now too late and Mr. Mussawi will not be present to take part in the talks.

Undeterred the IAWM have arranged to have Mr. Mussawi address the conference by either using a video link-up or by phone. Those who choose to attempt to sully democratic values by silencing debate will never succeed.

The Greens when contacted by the IAWM in order to see if they might have input in a resolution to this mockery of democracy, via exercising their rights to free speech as part of the current government, have maintained their recent form and have practiced the code of Omerta on behalf of their FF brethren.

Another two speakers who were due to address the conference will not be coming to Ireland either. Current events and no doubt the attitude and the complicity of our government with regard to current events have driven them into hiding in fear of their lives. I'm sure Mr. Shatter and his 'friends' will be very happy at this development.

Regardless, the Anti-War conference will go ahead as planned. Fear of murder and oppression have never deterred activists in the past and will not cow activists now.

Fianna fail attempt to stamp out free speech:- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84585

Getting ready for the protest

Agree or disagree, it'll be educational nonetheless

A representation of the non-silent majority

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Comments (11 of 11)

shame on this government

by jamie - sligo

Fri Oct 12, 2007 09:21

while i would expect this kind of behaviour from parties like fianna fail and fine gael the silence from the greens on this issue is an absolute disgrace, i hope their representatives get a hard time at the conference, to be honest its a bit of a sham that they are given a place on the platform of an anti-war event to begin with

Looks more like an SWP representation

by Anti-war

Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:14

Maybe if the SWP hadnt been so goddam monoploisitc ove rhte anti-war movemnet there'd be 1000 people outside there instead of 15.
No More equoting of Feb 2003 please thats when it all went wrong.
Sigh.

Greens a disgrace

by Vincent

Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:31

The greens are a disgrace. As someone else has already pointed out they should be heckled through their speechs at this conference.

Personally I am extremely disappointed with Patricia McKenna. I thought she was a politician with a difference. One of principle. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Shes no better than the rest. Power before principle

Hypocrisy

by Caldwell

Fri Oct 12, 2007 14:01

I suppose then that (in the interests of free-speech) next time historian David Irving or like-minded people come to Dublin, Cork to speak that the IAWM will desist from preventing them speak...?

The J Word

by Noel

Fri Oct 12, 2007 16:38

"instructed by his non-Irish masters to do so"
"I'm sure Mr. Shatter and his 'friends' will be very happy at this development"

They killed Jesus too I'm told.

The 'D' word

Sat Oct 13, 2007 03:19

Dickhead...

Typical Smear

by pat c

Sat Oct 13, 2007 16:30

Noel adopts the typical Ultra-Zionist tactic of smearing snyone who stands up against Israeli State Terrorism. It should be obvious to any honest rational person that Sean Ryan was referring to US/Israeli Imperialism and not to Jews. His article was a political one not a relious report. Taken in its context no fair commentator would assume that Sean was being anti Jewish.

I would accuse Noel of intellectual dishonesty but I don't reckon hes not exactly Mensa material.

Oops

by PaddyK

Sat Oct 13, 2007 16:45

Hey Patc,

Your double-negative is in a dangerous spot. The poor guy might get excited abut his IQ.

Hmmm

by Mark P

Sun Oct 14, 2007 18:05

If the phrase "instructed by his non-Irish masters" wasn't intended as anti-semitic innuendo it was, at the very least, a bad use of language. I don't think you'd have to be a right wing supporter of the policies of the Israeli state to take it as an anti-semitic slur - it looked like one to me. If it wasn't intended as such, perhaps Sean could ask for the section to be altered on the editorial list to remove any ambiguity.

ET did it

Sun Oct 14, 2007 18:50

If one were to read the sentence above the 'offending sentence,' one would see that I identified who the 'non-Irish masters were.'

If one wishes to use ambiguity to speculate as to who the 'non-Irish masters are' and ignore both the context and the definition I'd just given, then that's fine with me and says more about the speculator than it does about me.

I've no desire to have what I've written changed. If idle speculation is to be the order of the day, maybe 'non-Irish masters' refers to UFOs. If anyone wishes to paint me into some wild and speculative conspiracy theory, that's ok too. The trick mind you would be to keep such shite very very speculative. Mr. Shatter will not stand for defamation and neither will I.

Mark P

Sun Oct 14, 2007 19:17

This is getting truly bizarre. Sean & I sometimes disagree about things but I am certain that he is not anti-semitic nor do I believe that the article above is in any manner anti-semitic.

If the sentence mentioned was just on its own then one might have suspicions but in the context of the article it should be quite obvious that Sean is writing about Shatters Imperialist political masters.

Or he might mean the Hidden Masters in their Fortresses in the Himalayas.

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State tries to muzzle debate

Comments (11 of 11)