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<TD>Date: Thursday, Oct 12 2017, 2:18pm<BR>
Full event listing at <a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/events">www.indymedia.ie/events</a><BR></TD>
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<H2><a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/106342">Rallying for Choice in Belfast 14th October 2017</a></H2>
National | Rights, Freedoms and Repression | By wsm <h4>Event Time: Saturday, Oct 14 2017</h4>
<P>On 14th October 2017, Rally for Choice will march through the streets of Belfast. - Last year saw us counter protest the Rally for Life in the North of Ireland, for the first time we marched against their lies instead of our usual static demo. Our counter protest was a huge success, despite being organised at short notice and with only a handful of activists. The protest burst across our streets and convened at Buoy Park afterwards for speakers. We outnumbered the Rally for Life 2016 significantly</P><P>See <strong>Buy a Ticket! Dublin Bus to Belfast RALLY FOR CHOICE</strong>
https://www.wsm.ie/c/buy-ticket-dublin-bus-belfast-rally-choice
<p>
This year, with heightened urgency, even more organisers have come together to have a stand-alone march. We do not need Rally for Life to galvanise us. We are here, in huge numbers, and we are angry.
<p>
<ul>
<li> Angry that we are ignored.
<li> Angry that we face discrimination.
<li> Angry that our sisters and other pregnant people are forced to travel for access to a basic human right.
<li> Angry that we are being persecuted by the law and the media.
</ul>
<p>
Rally for Choice is a revolutionary, grassroots, feminist organisation of ordinary people who have come together to make our voices heard. We have an anarchist structure and strive for a horizontal organising arrangement where everyone is equal. Roles are rotated so that no one becomes burned out or takes on too much. We try to avoid terms like manager or leader, and use co-ordinator instead. Our structure is very inspired by the Workers Solidarity Movement.
</p><p>
Organising a Rally for Choice in the North has been a complex but liberating process. We have gathered into sub-groups for Social Media, Outreach and Fundraising, as well as the official paperwork that comes with holding a protest in Belfast, plus we have strong branding which is very important (as we learn from any episode of The Apprentice). We have been meeting weekly to fortnightly since May 2017.
Paperwork
</p><p>
There are only two places in the city where we are officially allowed to gather without Public Liability Insurance (PLI): outside Queen's University and City Hall. Neither of these are large enough for the Rally for Choice. Buoy Park (officially known as Cathedral Gardens) is free to use, but we need permission from Belfast City Council and we must purchase PLI. Other places in the city require gatherings to pay. Paying to protest isn't something we should have to do.
</p><p>
We have encountered so much resistance from Belfast City Council, that it has been hard to avoid the impression that they are trying to silence us. One of our events, Picnic for Choice in Botanic Gardens, was declined permission at 4pm the day before it was held.
</p><p>
Any march in the North requires a notification to be sent to the Parades Commission. They don't grant permission per se, but they must be notified. They can put restrictions on the march and we will have to have an official meeting with them 10 days before the Rally. The Rally can be classified as 'contentious' up to 14 days before. This will require more meetings and paperwork.
</p><p>
The City Centre PSNI will also be informed ahead of the day.
</p><p>
<strong>Branding</strong>
We are very lucky to have talented artists within the group. They have designed some strong pieces of artwork. The colour purple was chosen due to its feminist connotations. And our logo is easily recognisable as a symbol demanding liberation from oppression.
One of our meetings was a workshop where one of our members shared their knowledge and skills with graphic building so that more of us can contribute towards making images for future events.
</p><p>
<strong>Social Media</strong>
We have a team of people to spread the word on our various social media platforms. We can increase our reach and impact by posting to Facebook regularly. This is much more accessible for our comrades who are not able to make regular meetings.
</p><p>
<ul>
<li> We started out on Facebook as Rally For Choice Ireland
<li> We're now on Instagram @RallyforChoiceIreland
<li> We have a Twitter account - @rallyforchoice
<li> And we also do Snapchat the odd time – rallyforchoice
<li> Our lovely website has a beautiful purple theme http://rallyforchoice.org/
</ul>
</p><p>
Please follow us to keep up to date.
</p><p>
We have an excellent video about why we are doing this, and there is another one coming soon...
</p><p>
<strong>Outreach</strong>
One of the main aims of starting this new group was to empower people who haven't been involved in activism before. We have had an amazing response to our Open Organising Meetings. We simply post them on the Rally for Choice Ireland Facebook page and the result has been incredible. An average meeting has around 12-20 people show up, many of them new to Pro-Choice activism and the horizontal structure we have in place means most people get straight to work!
</p><p>
As it's incredibly close to all our hearts, we want to include and involve as many people as possible. We've sent information packs to Women's Centres and Groups across the province. We've held pro-choice information stalls to distribute leaflets in Belfast and in Tyrone. One of the reasons why we chose October is that we want people from the March for Choice in Dublin on 30th September 2017 to be inspired, and come and support us in the North! We want everyone to come to Rally for Choice. We don't want this to be just Belfast. We want this to represent people Ireland-wide.
</p><p>
<strong>Fundraising</strong>
To make sure we have complete autonomy and are not beholden to anyone except ourselves, we have held fundraisers. Past and future events include a Karaoke night, a Feminist Media Discussion, and a Gig Night. We also have a crowdfunder on the go, where you can get T-shirts, tote bags and badges which closes at 11pm tonight. The amazingly generous response from supporters has been really heart-warming. Please visit the crowdfunder and help us make this rally massive!
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/rally-for-choice-2017
</p><p>
We will use this kindness wisely. Holding a successful Rally is expensive. As well as the leaflets, posters, stickers, public liability insurance and outlay for merchandise, we also want to make a huge purple banner and have some purple surprises for a bit of atmosphere on the 14th October.
Our hope the day of the Rally is a day of strength and solidarity. We want people to use it as a springboard to meet other activists and become involved with the movement. We want to be heard. And we want our human rights. Now.</P>
<p><small>posted on: Monday, Oct 9 2017, 10:28pm</small></p>
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<H2><a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/106346">Protest against opening of Scientology Europe HQ in Ireland!</a></H2>
Dublin | Rights, Freedoms and Repression | By Scientology Not Welcome! Scientology Not Welcome Ireland! <h4>Event Time: Saturday, Oct 14 2017</h4>
<P>Protest against opening of new Scientology Europe HQ here in Ireland!<br />
<br />
Saturday the 14th October @13.30pm, <br />
<br />
CSI Centre(Victory Outreach), Firhouse Road, Tymon South, Dublin 24</P><P>This Saturday the 14th of October, there will be a protest held outside the building formerly known as Victory Outreach Centre on Firhouse Road, Tymon South, Dublin 24.<br />
<br />
The purpose of our protest is to oppose in the strongest possible terms, the infamously malignant and dangerous Cult known as the Church of Scientology from establishing a European base here in Ireland and to send a strong message to this so called Church that they are NOT welcome in Dublin in anyway shape or form to engage and practice the shamefully exploitative and dangerous activities and practices this cult is internationally renowned for which up to now is well documented and public knowledge. <br />
This protest has been organised between a large plethora of activists from across many different spectrums, from anti-cult activists to autism advocates, sceptics, anti-austerity campaigners and everyone in between, to protest the opening of a Scientology Hub in South Dublin this Saturday.<br />
Also present will be families from both here in Ireland and from Britian, devasted by Scientologys harmful disconnection practice.<br />
<br />
Scientology is not new to Ireland, it has existed here in some form for well over half a century, but not making any real impact during that time, with only a handful of members active in the cult from a small office above a hair salon on Abbey Street.<br />
But as of recently there has been a very determined effort by the Cult of Scientology to establish a base in Ireland, potentially a hub for its European operations.<br />
Last year the Scientology Cult, purchased a property on Merrion Square directly across from Leinster House, the home of parliament in Ireland, and recently it bought a property in Firhouse formerly belonging to another exploitation cult known as Victory Outreach. <br />
It has been established that over 250 members of the cult from across the globe have been brought to Ireland to bolster the cults position in Ireland and recruit more unfortunate souls into its exploitative ranks.<br />
Scientology was formerly bankrupt in Ireland yet now with large sums of money invested in property and such a large influx of high up cult activists, it is clear Scientology has big plans for Ireland and this is something for everyone to be extremely concerned with.<br />
<br />
There are many reasons to list, as to why you would be disgusted by the Cult of Scientology and to oppose its intentions and activities but here are a few core examples as to how they are dangerous and why we most stop them setting up shop on front door.<br />
<br />
-Scientology through instructions passed down from its notoriously deranged Walter Mitty founder L Ron Hubbard, is notoriously anti-medicine and all forms of accredited Psychiatry and Psychology, <br />
Through many front organisations it promotes a vast collection of quack remedies and pseudoscientific nonsense cures for large sums of money, mainly to vulnerable folks.<br />
Front groups like Narcanon on which encourages those suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction to ignore advice from qualified addiction specialists, and buy places on Scientologists rehabilitation clinics subjected to unproven and discredited procedure’s.<br />
They also claim to be able to cure disorders and conditions such as autism which is deemed a ‘spiritual flaw’, with children subjected to bizarre and highly dangerous quack remedies. <br />
-The Scientology Cult is widely condemned internationally for its practice of ‘Disconnection’, a Scientology policy where cult members are instructed to break all links and contact with family members and friends who are not part of the cult. This has led to thousands upon thousands of heartbroken families across the world decades without speaking or having contact with their sisters, brothers, sons and daughters. On Saturday we are to be joined by the families of those here in Ireland and in Britain affected by disconnection.<br />
-The Scientology Cult relentlessly attacks and harasses former members who leave the cult, journalists and anyone who offers criticism or exposure of the churches misdeeds, subjecting them to harassment by Private investigators, vexatious litigation and other fascist style terror tactics.<br />
-The Cult of Scientology engages in rampant and widespread abuse, exploitation and discrimination against its own membership, forcing them to engage in unpaid and forced labour, bankrupting them with endless bunk courses and generally transforming them into slaves for the organisation.<br />
<br />
GET THE PICTURE!<br />
<br />
It is utterly baffling that there has been virtual silence from public representatives on this matter and no concern shown publicly about the intentions of this sinister cult.<br />
We ask all who support our protest to please contact your local public representatives and lodge with them your opposition to this cult and you oppose the opening of this building in Firhouse it intends to use to flog its harmful quackery.<br />
It’s also worth noting that as we are enduring a housing crisis, that a powerful cult like Scientology can just swan in and buy up empty properties to engage activities harmful to local communities.<br />
<br />
So please join us on Saturday, let the Scientology cult know they are unwelcome in Dublin or any part of Ireland to promote their bile. <br />
The grand overlord of Scientology himself David Miscavige is supposedly to be present on Saturday which gives an added incentive to protest.<br />
We will be peacefully assembling at 12pm on Saturday outside the front entrance of the former Victory Outreach Centre Firhouse Road, Tymon South.<br />
Bring your placards, banners, leaflets, bullhorns etc<br />
ALL WELCOME</P>
<p><small>posted on: Wednesday, Oct 11 2017, 6:12pm</small></p>
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