Sir, – As a person who watched the burning of the Dublin British embassy on February 2nd, 1972, I resent the reference to it by Aelwyn Pritchard of Crewe, England (August 18th) when justifying the present attitude of the British government towards the London embassy of Ecuador over Julian Assange’s request for asylum there.
The Irish public’s anger against the English in February 1972 after the Bloody Sunday massacre a few days before was palpable. The embassy staff were well aware of this anger during this tumultuous time and had evacuated the embassy which was then situated in one of the lovely Georgian buildings at Merrion Square. The government, gardaí and security people of the day were cognisant of this anger and had produced a strategy.
A wise decision was made that day, a single building was gutted by fire, no lives were lost and the protesters’ genuine anger of that day melted into the night after their heartfelt emotions about the British army shootings of innocent civilians in Derry had been shown to the world’s media. – Yours, etc,