A banner overlooking Dublin's Millennium Bridge and proclaiming: "No to War" and "No to Nice" as well as "No to American Terrorism" was put up by the Dublin-based builder Mr Michael Wallace, he acknowledged yesterday. Maintaining that he could not live with himself if he did not take the opportunity "to say what I feel" he criticised US foreign policy which he said was designed to get a "stronger foothold in the oil regions".
In relation to the Nice referendum, Mr Wallace said he was in favour of EU integration and the accession of new states but was concerned about the advent of a military alliance and EU countries "being dragged into NATO". Referring to Government assurances that Ireland would not be compelled to get involved in a military alliance, Mr Wallace said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, "had promised that we could not be drawn into PfP (Partnership for Peace) without a referendum but that is exactly what he did".
Mr Wallace, who was speaking to Mr Joe Duffy on RTÉ's Liveline programme yesterday, added that he put the banner up because he "felt very strongly about the fact that the Americans want to bomb cities in Iraq and people are not aware of what is involved".
