Protests Greet the British Queen in Cork – Report & Photo Essay
cork |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Saturday May 21, 2011 00:29
by Ray - Cork WSM (pers cap)
Oppressive Garda presence by the Lee in North Korean-style finale to royal visit
The armed power of the Irish state and the local establishment extended a heavily stage-managed and trumped-up 'welcome' for the reigning British monarch, while denying Cork citizens freedom of movement in their own city. Once again An Garda Síochána infringed upon people's freedom of protest.
About 300 assorted republicans, anarchists and other anti-monarchists braved an oppressive police presence to make public protest against the visit of Queen Elizabeth II on Sullivan's Quay this afternoon. Among the organisations present were Sinn Féin (who organised a stage, music (all republican ballads; perhaps some of the many anti-monarchist pop and punk songs would have been worth a play too SF folks?), Republican Sinn Féin, the 32-County Sovereignty Movement, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, and the Workers Solidarity Movement.
The police operation restricted public protest in Cork city centre to a section of Sullivan's Quay, with access to large areas of the either restricted in access or closed entirely for much of the working day. Thousands of school students were used by the authorities to pad out the tiny crowd gathered at the corner of South Mall and Grand Parade and create the illusion of a 'welcoming throng' for the elderly scrounger. They were also used to shield her eyes from the protestors across from the South Channel of the river Lee.
The heavy Garda presence included riot cops, dog handlers, the Garda helicopter and several other small aircraft, the Garda mounted unit and any number of uniformed and plainclothes officers. Public order units were seen on South Gate Bridge, Clarke's Bridge and St. Finbarre's Bridge. As protestors moved along the southside quays, Gardaí responded to block access off to the centre. In spite of this, a handful of protesting citizens made it as far as Washington Street, but were then confronted by numerous police.
In spite of the efforts taken by the Irish government and media to 'popularise' this visit, many of the streets the royal motorcade passed were empty, and but for the last minute dragooning of the bulk of the city's school students the centre would have been bare in comparison to a normal Friday in good May weather. So much for the 'boost' to tourism and the economy this 'visit' is bringing then. The 'great and good' may pronounce themselves pleased with their four-day mail-fisted celebration of imperialism at everyone else's expense, but the response of the population at large has been one of studied indifference, and no little opposition. Let's hope that this city never has to endure another 'royal' visit!
Comments (17 of 17)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17Another selection showing people protesting the Queen of england's visit to Cork.
A spokesperson from the Dublin/Monaghan Bombings survivors and relatives' association
Another selection of photos from today's protest.
This was a state visit laden with concocted symbolism and stage management. The notion that QEII was getting some kind of 'hearty Irish welcome' required a lot of bodies of all ages, in all kinds of uniforms.
Blocking off access to the city centre, Nano Nagle footbridge
Schoolchildren being used as rent-a-crowd (1)
As many cops as 'spectators', Grand Parade.
Grand Parade before arrival, no spectators.
The small 'real' crowd, concentrated round the corner on the first block of South Mall
The Cork Independent's front-page headline this week should've read: 'Open For Business But Closed For Democracy'. Isn't it wonderful to see the tolerance official Ireland has for dissenting opinion manifest itself on this city's streets?
Schoolchildren being used as rent-a-crowd (2).
In spite of this the streets remain empty. More children!
More children, coming up!
One of the floor managers taking a break. Lots of earpieces in coppers' ears today.
Garda dog unit making Cork's citizens feel welcome and safe, unless you protest of course...
To show the esteemed foreign visitor how free and proud the nation is, a great show must be made of forcibly denying Cork's citizens their customary enjoyment of their own city. I struggle to express my gratitude for this unwanted experience. Just getting 100 cops to spend a day spitting in Corkonians' faces would have achieved the same effect, and could have been done at far less expense.
Hard-working plainclothes 'welcomers' having a conflab. Spot the Yardie?
Ireland of the Welcomes on the South Gate Bridge
Freedom of Movement at Clarke's Bridge
More Freedom of Movement on Wandesford Quay and St. Finbarre's Bridge
'No you are not getting on to Washington Street!'
Really sums up and shines a light on the true insidious oppressive nature of this visit
and well done with the photos. Noticed that the 'official media' did a fully toady job on the visit - siucking up in full measure. Anyone get a phtoto of the Union Jack flying from the Elysian White Elephant buiilding in Cork.
it was rsf who put coffin into lee.thanks.
Apart from guard dogs, the riot squad and the public order battalions, there was also ...
Surveillance 1
Surveillance 1b
Surveillance 5
Surveillance 6
As someone who lost a family member in the Dublin bombings of 1974, I welcome the visit of QE11 to Ireland, not because I am a fan of the Monarchy-nothing could be further from the truth, but because it was a symbol of reconciliation between our two islands. Much more could have been said and done, however, her speech should be welcomed and was as far as she could go. In an ideal world I would wish for much more but that is naive. My family still feels the pain of watching the news on the evening of May 17th, 1974 and it very much upset my mother when the visit was announced to happen on May 17th. In the end though, she was happy it happened, as was I.
I know that I will be castigated for these sentiments, however, I do not apologise for them.
As regards the security: yes it was heavy handed and that is regrettable, however, you can hardly expect there not to be security. I am not an apologist the the inappropriate and appalling behaviour of the Gardai in Mayo and elsewhere. The Gardai are not the problem-the state is.
Last week's visit helped a lot of people, me and my family included. Yes, I would love to see the truth of '74 come out. The dogs on the street know there was collusion.
I'm all for the dissidents, particularly when they desist from simplifying the issues into neglect of counter-arguments. You dont, so I've no problem with your comment. I had to go downtown myself on the day, searching for a sister and an English friend from London that was visiting, but I was luckier than you. The brother of a former girlfriend got wiped out in one of the final London bombs.
Plus I have English cousins, as do so many of us, and am glad to see the slow progress and apparent trickle-down into British over-propagandised awareness of the savagery inflicted on this island, and so many other places. But even as she half-apologised, her government are committing the same crimes across the Islamic world, and financially dominating the wealth of the planet accumulated through a millennium of war.And that collusion goes on still. 150 years ago Charles Gavan Duffy said it was the Brits created the fenians. I'm not sure if he meant it so directly as it looks in light of the last fifty years. Too many steak-knives at their banquet.
If you haven't encountered it try and get a copy of The Dissenting Voice, by Flann Cambell(1991,Blackstaff Press). It covers the Presbyterian input into Irish republicanism, a set of facts wiped off their collective memory by the Orange aristocracies for the usual collusive reasons. Tog go bog.
What I DO castigate is the sychophantic denial of rational dissent, a democratic OBLIGATION as much as right, in our obsequious mainstream cheerleading media.
I agree wholeheartedly with the previous contribution. The Empire goes on in the form of big pharma, big arms and so on. A democracy needs dissent and in fact I would argue that dissent and independence is the oxygen of a true democracy.
The last week's luv-fest is disturbing. No looking below the surface is the media policy. So the likes of Manning and Assange must not be mentioned. Here's whats afoot as we all watch the circus
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24870
Well done to all those who came together to show their dissent in Cork!
Shame on all those who ab/used children by sending them out as crowd fillers/rent a spectacle.
They were afraid somebody would blow her up.
(The same scum blew up her aged uncle Mountbatten and a 16 year old child in Sligo bay.)
If there ever was any fear that she would be blown up, surely that was another reason not to ab/use children by sending them into a danger zone.
I was opposed to the British Monarch's visit and wrote letters of protest to two national newspapers. In addition I had a black flag flying outside me house for the duration of her visit. Well done to all those who made peacefull and dignified protests in Cork, Dublin and else where.
However I must add one criticism here - The guy in the red T-shirt in the seventh photo in this piece who is pictured with the National Flag tied around his waist. Such disrespect for the tricolour is simply appauling! Quite simply this is direspectfull to all those who died in the fight for Irish freedom.
I am not saying that the protester intended disrespect - he just seems to have been completely oblivious or ignorant of it. I have no doubt that there were many sincere and ernest republicans present who have worked long and hard to promote Irish freedom and unity - did none of them point out to this guy what an ass he was making of himself (and by extent the whole protest).
There was enough nonsense in the media about Man Utd. and Glasgow Celtic Jerseys - thankfully no reporter seems to have picked up on this.
Thats it - I've said my two cents. I would appeal to anyone making a similar protest in future to think aboutall aspects of it carefully and if any of them could be considered disrespectfull and or counter productive.
Is míse
Padraig
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