éirígí to establish Irish Freedom Camp at Garden of Remembrance

éirígí has announced its preliminary plans for protests during the visit of the British head of state, Elizabeth Windsor.  Speaking in Dublin éirígí Chairperson Brian Leeson outlined the socialist republican party’s plans for protests during Windsor’s engagements at both the Garden of Remembrance and Dublin Castle.  Leeson said:

‘Although the Dublin and London governments have yet to reveal the exact timetable for the Windsor visit I can confirm that éirígí will be organising protests at both the Garden of Remembrance ceremony and the Dublin Castle banquet.  Additional éirígí protests may well be announced closer to the date of Windsor’s arrival.

Garden of Remembrance

We have chosen to organise a protest at the Garden of Remembrance for obvious reasons.  This garden is dedicated to those who have given their lives in the struggle for freedom from British domination and occupation.  To have a British head of state visit the garden while the occupation of the Six Counties continues is deliberately insulting and provocative.

The fact that that the ceremony is scheduled to take place either on, or within a couple of days of, the anniversary of the 1974 Dublin/Monaghan bombings only adds insult to injury.  Where else in the world would the commander-in-chief of a foreign military be feted within yards of where eleven innocent citizens were murdered by that same military?  The British state has yet to admit its role in not only the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, but also the wider policy of collusion with the unionist death squads.’

Leeson continued by outlining éirígí’s plans for an Irish Freedom Camp:

‘At 3pm on Sunday May 15th éirígí will hold a rally at the Garden of Remembrance in opposition to the Windsor visit.  And from that time until Windsor arrives at the Garden of Remembrance we intend to establish a twenty-four hour a day presence at the gardens in the form of an ‘Irish Freedom Camp’.


We are inviting people to join the freedom camp for as long as they can, at any point over the number of days that it will be in place.  We hope that the camp will act as a rallying point for those who are opposed to this visit and all that it represents.’

Leeson concluded by outlining éirígí’s protest plans for the Dublin Castle banquet:

‘At a time when so many Irish people are struggling to put bread on the table and keep a roof over their heads  it is nothing short of sickening that the Dublin government have chosen to treat Windsor and her entourage to the most lavish of banquets in Dublin Castle.  I have no doubt that the banquet will be attended by many of the same politicians, business people and other so called leaders who are responsible for the current economic mess.  I don’t imagine that they will be asked to eat the same EU-subsidised cheese that the state was so happy to distribute to the population before Christmas.'

'éirígí are organising a protest at the Dublin Castle banquet to give the people of Dublin and the rest of the country the opportunity to not only register their disgust at the Windsor visit, but also to vent their anger at the ruling elite of this state who think they can continue to live the like princes and princesses while the rest of us face unemployment, poverty, emigration and despair.’

éirígí will be holding a demonstration, which will include the symbolic beheading of 'Elizabeth Windsor' in a mock guillotine, against the visit outside the GPO in O'Connell Street, Dublin at 1PM this Saturday April

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