One of the reported demo organizers, solicitor Malachy Steenson says that the plan was to send a message to the rest of the world that the anti-immigration community in Ireland has “had enough.”
Up to 500,000 people participate in and watch Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day parade and millions more see it on television.
News of preparations for the anti-immigration protest, which could disrupt the parade, was reported a day after up to 50,000 anti-racists marched through Dublin city center on Saturday. They heard from one speaker, Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, that Ireland has plenty of room for refugees, and that the country has a population that is two million below pre-Famine levels.
Steenson, a former city councilor who has led protests against asylum-seekers in Dublin’s East Wall area, told the Mail on Sunday that his planned St. Pat’s Day protest would not be violent. There have been clashes between anti and pro-immigrant organization demonstrators in recent weeks.
He told the Mail on Sunday “We’re sending out the message to the rest of the world that we’ve had enough here; we’ve had enough of being ignored by the political class and the NGO class, people telling us ordinary decent working-class people that we’re racist and far-right.”
At Saturday’s Ireland for All march, protesters carried placards stating “love triumphs over fear” and “refugees are welcome here.”
A planned counter-protest by anti-immigration people did not materialize, mainly because of disagreement between anti-immigration groups and individuals over how to respond to the march and the alleged involvement of British far-right agitator Tommy Robinson in one of the groups.
Robinson, a convicted criminal and former leader of the English Defence League, visited Dublin, Cork, and Kerry last week, but kept a low profile although gardai monitored his movements.
He said he was in Ireland as a “journalist” to “document” the anti-immigration movement.
The Irish Times reported that Saturday’s march was told by academic and activist Ailbhe Smyth, “We are here to stand up against the hatred and disinformation being spewed out by far-right extremists. Their vile racism, transphobia and misogyny, scapegoating minorities, ratcheting up people’s fears and anxieties, driving a wedge in working-class communities – we will not stand for that.”
Singer Christy Moore told the crowd he was there to express “revulsion” towards “the hatred and violence expressed by a small number of people” and attacks against refugees.
Comments