Ireland

Galway anti-war activists urged to make presence felt at second day of consultative forum

Speakers including Claire Daly, Mick Wallace and Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell gathered ahead of discussions

MEPs Mick Wallace and Claire Daly and TD Catherine Connolly (centre, left to right) were among the speakers in Galway

Andrew Hamilton
Fri Jun 23 2023 - 06:50

A crowd of around 300 anti-war activists were urged to make their presence felt at the second of the government’s Consultative Forum on International Security Policy, which takes place at the University of Galway on Friday.

Speakers such as MEPs Claire Daly and Mick Wallace, and TDs Catherine Connolly (Ind) and Mairéad Farrell (SF), addressed a lively public meeting, organised by the Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) on Galway’s Spanish Arch on Thursday night.

Niall Farrell of the GAAW called on all those present at tonight’s event to assemble on the campus of the University of Galway at 8am on Friday, in advance of the second meeting of the forum.

This comes after a number of protesters were removed from the first session of the forum in Cork on its first day, interrupting the opening address of Tánaiste, Micheál Martin (FF) and shouted anti-Nato slogans.

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Addressing tonight’s public meeting, Claire Dal, said that any findings produced by the consultative forum were “already damaged goods” because of the way that the forum had been constituted.

She also said that she and others had been vilified for expressing their opposition to war and any potential moves to limit Irish neutrality.

“We are [labelled as] Kremlin agents. I don’t know what bank account they [the Russian Government] are putting the money into, but it’s not reaching me. That is what they say to discredit you, if you happen to have a different opinion from them,” she said.

“This has to be a wake-up call. We need to show them that we will do whatever it takes to stop them, for the good of Ireland and for the good of humanity everywhere as well.

“Whatever Micheál Martin thought he could get out of this is over now, whatever comes out of this is already damaged goods.”

Dr Karen Devine of Dublin City University said the forum had been “stacked” with “embedded” academics who were in favour of the greater integration of EU defensive policy.

“You will notice that most of the professors at the conference are Jean Monnet professors, who are funded by the EU,” she said.

“The Government, the media, universities – especially the embedded Jean Monnet professors, and the think tanks – are all colluding to lie, cajole and threaten the people of Ireland into participating in wars and eventual Nato membership. We stand here today in opposition to that.”

The meeting was also briefly addressed by former Green Party MEP, Patricia McKenna, who brought dozens of T-shirts containing the slogan ‘No To Nato’.

Niall Farrell of the GAAW, who is the father of Deputy Mairéad Farrell, encouraged those present to wear the ‘No to Nato’ T-shirts to the opening of the second forum in the University of Galway on Friday.

There was a small but visible garda presence at the public meeting. There is expected to be a significant garda presence at the University of Galway tomorrow, but a garda spokesperson declined to give details saying that they don’t comment on operational matters in advance of planned events.

Panels on day two include a discussion on lessons from Ireland’s membership of the UN Security Council; the State’s experience of peacekeeping under the neutrality “triple lock”; its role in building peace and upholding international law; and defence research.

The day’s debates will begin with a discussion between chairwoman Louise Richardson and the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, at 9am while Ms Richardson will conclude day two with closing remarks at 5pm.

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