Dublin to have Speakers Square

national | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Thursday March 11, 2004 14:18 by kahootz

Cearnóg na gCainteoirí -The Speakers Square, will begin on Sunday the 25 of
April, exercise your right to free speech between 12noon and 4pm on that day and
on every Sunday thereafter on Temple Bar Square.

Cearnóg na gCainteoirí/Speakers Square is an initiative by Rossa Ó Snodaigh in
conjunction with 'Temple Bar Outdoors' to provide a forum for the city dwellers
to address the public on matters that are of concern to them. They may express
opinions, raise awareness, inform the public, share views or simply say some
poems.

Cearnóg na gCainteoirí/Speakers Square will be run on a first come first serve
basis. Intending speakers will write their names on the back of chalk boards and
when their turn arises to speak will write their issues on the front. Speakers
will be encouraged to speak in any language, provided it's not foul language.
Until a special dispensation is sought (if it really need
be sought), the law of the land will apply as it does nationwide - In that it is
an offence to incite hatred or slander anyone in public.

The last time Dublin had a speaker's arena was on Elverys Corner (by the GPO) up
until the 1950s. The city and the world may have changed since then, but there's
been no change in the need for people to voice their views.

Opinions are worse for being repressed and better when they are expressed.

So Free your thoughts because small voices can make a big noise.