British Warship Challenged in Dublin

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Wednesday August 19, 2009 17:33 by PRO - éirígí press at eirigi dot org

éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson has reiterated the socialist republican party’s commitment to opposing any displays of British militarism in Ireland in response to today’s visit (Wednesday) to Dublin by a British naval warship.

As the warship docked in Dublin, éirígí activists were on hand to show her crew that their presence in Ireland is not welcome. Despite receiving short notice of the ship’s arrival, over a dozen éirígí activists assembled to protest the ship’s presence in the capital city.

The activists held placards and banners reading ‘Britain out of Ireland’ and ‘Britain’s war machine out of Ireland, End the Occupation’.

Speaking at the protest, éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson said: “Today’s visit to Dublin by a British warship is another example of Britain’s attempts to pass off its relationship with Ireland as being ‘normalised’. However, there is nothing normal about the British occupation of the Six Counties or the presence of 5,000 British troops in the North of Ireland.

“éirígí has been to the forefront of opposing displays of British militarism in Ireland. Last week, several of our activists boarded a British warship in Belfast to protest its appearance at the Tall Ships festival. éirígí took the lead in opposing last November’s RIR parade in Belfast and led opposition to Britain’s so-called armed forces day in June. Today’s protest is just the latest stage in the party’s campaign against the British occupation.

“Britain’s military presence in Ireland is completely unacceptable and will be opposed by Irish republicans for as long as it continues.”
ENDS.

Note to editor 1: éirígí is an Ireland-wide, socialist republican political party, formed in 2006 to provide a vehicle for the national, social and
economic liberation of the people of Ireland.