Details of Windsor Visit Protests Announced

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Wednesday April 13, 2011 12:03

by éirígí PRO - éirígí

éirígí announces details of protests during Windsor visit, including the
establishment of an Irish Freedom Camp at Garden of Remembrance.

éirígí has announced its preliminary plans for protests during the visit of the
British head of state, Elizabeth Windsor. Speaking in Dublin éirígí
Chairperson Brian Leeson outlined the socialist republican party’s plans for
protests during Windsor’s engagements at both the Garden of Remembrance and
Dublin Castle. Leeson said,

‘Although the Dublin and London governments have yet to reveal the exact
timetable for the Windsor visit I can confirm that éirígí will be organising
protests at both the Garden of Remembrance ceremony and the Dublin Castle
banquet. Additional éirígí protests may well be announced closer to the date
of Windsor’s arrival.

We have chosen to organise a protest at the Garden of Remembrance for obvious
reasons. This garden is dedicated to those who have given their lives in the
struggle for freedom from British domination and occupation. To have a British
head of state visit the garden while the occupation of the Six Counties
continues is deliberately insulting and provocative.

The fact that that the ceremony is scheduled to take place either on, or within
a couple of days of, the anniversary of the 1974 Dublin/Monaghan bombings only
adds insult to injury. Where else in the world would the commander-in-chief of
a foreign military be feted within yards of where eleven innocent citizens were
murdered by that same military? The British state has yet to admit its role in
not only the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, but also the wider policy of collusion
with the unionist death squads.’

Leeson continued by outlining éirígí’s plans for an Irish Freedom Camp,

‘At 3pm on Sunday May 15th éirígí will hold a rally at the Garden of Remembrance
in opposition to the Windsor visit. And from that time until Windsor arrives at
the Garden of Remembrance we intend to establish a twenty-four hour a day
presence at the gardens in the form of an ‘Irish Freedom Camp’.

We are inviting people to join the freedom camp for as long as they can, at any
point over the number of days that it will be in place. We hope that the camp
will act as a rallying point for those who are opposed to this visit and all
that it represents.’

Leeson concluded by outlining éirígí’s protest plans for the Dublin Castle
banquet,

‘At a time when so many Irish people are struggling to put bread on the table
and keep a roof over their heads it is nothing short of sickening that the
Dublin government have chosen to treat Windsor and her entourage to the most
lavish of banquets in Dublin Castle. I have no doubt that the banquet will be
attended by many of the same politicians, business people and other so called
leaders who are responsible for the current economic mess. I don’t imagine
that they will be asked to eat the same EU-subsidised cheese that the state was
so happy to distribute to the population before Christmas.

'éirígí are organising a protest at the Dublin Castle banquet to give the people
of Dublin and the rest of the country the opportunity to not only register their
disgust at the Windsor visit, but also to vent their anger at the ruling elite
of this state who think they can continue to live the like princes and
princesses while the rest of us face unemployment, poverty, emigration and
despair.’