IRELAND: A mass mobilisation against the forthcoming visit by President Bush was called for by speakers at a weekend protest rally in Dublin against the war and continuing occupation of Iraq.
Up to 5,000 people marched through the rain from Parnell Square to the Department of Foreign Affairs at St Stephen's Green.
Worldwide, more than a million anti-war protesters took to the streets on Saturday to demand the withdrawal of US-led troops. From Sydney to Tokyo, from Santiago, Chile, to Madrid, Cairo, New York and San Francisco, demonstrators condemned US policy in Iraq and said they did not believe Iraqis are better off or the world safer because of the war.
The marchers in Dublin chanted such slogans as, "Bertie, Bertie, Bush's man; blood, blood on your hands" and "Free, free, free Iraq; send the US forces back". A Socialist Workers' Party group in the march held a brief sit-down protest lasting about a minute at the gates of Leinster House.
Chairing an end-of-march rally at Iveagh House, Mr Brendan Butler, of the NGO Peace Alliance, said, "We are here outside our Department of Foreign Affairs because they are the real lackeys today, they are kow-towing to Bush and company, each and every one of them, and we must demand an end to this collusion."
The Independent Senator from Trinity College, Mr David Norris, told the crowd they were right to protest at the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he said was following a pro-American line.
Ms Mary Lou McDonald, a Sinn Féin candidate in the European elections, said, "We were promised that Iraq would be brought a new era of stability and peace and we see an Iraq highly destabilised, we see an Iraq in turmoil." Ms McDonald was interrupted by hecklers asking: "Why did Sinn Féin meet Bush at Hillsborough?" and others highlighting the party's link with the IRA.
Labour TD Mr Michael D. Higgins said that, wherever the Bush visit took place, he would be participating in the march. He said the change of government after the Spanish elections had been misinterpreted by commentators.
"Stop insulting the people of Spain, they did it because of their belief in another kind of society that would avoid war," he said.
The ousting of the Popular Party government in Spain was also welcomed by the Green MEP for Dublin, Ms Patricia McKenna, who said: "We still have supporters of terrorism and international criminality, that's our own Taoiseach and Tony Blair, and we have to see those people going as well."
The Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins said: "The Bush gang is coming to Ireland for one reason and one reason only, and that is to try and influence the votes of some of the 30 million people in the US who claim Irish ancestry."