Fianna Fáil's "De Valera Day" Interrupted By Anti War Protest / Ennis Judge Insists 2+2=5

clare | anti-war / imperialism | feature Wednesday October 27, 2004 00:31 by An Púca / Indymedia flannbui at yahoo dot com The Banner.

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Two Anti-war activists interrupt Fianna Fáil ceremony by unveiling banner and heckling high profile party members. Questionable behaviour from Youthful FFers follows.

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Two Anti-war activists interrupt Fianna Fáil ceremony by unveiling banner and heckling high profile party members.

Last Sunday marked the first annual "De Valera Day" in Ennis Co. Clare the event was organised by Ógra Fianna Fáil in Clare after Bertie Ahern announced at the National youth Convention that there would be a De Valera day in Ennis every year. The celebrations culminated with a march of Local F.F. Cumainn from O Connel square to the Peoples Park where a Statue of Eamonn De Valera stands infront of the court house wall.

As the ceremony was beginning two local anti war activists stood above the gathering on the court house wall and unveilled a large banner reading "U.S. MILITARY OUT OF SHANNON." and one of the activists began to heckle the speaker by shouting anti war slogans and jibes.A number of high profile Fianna Fáil members includeing the Defence Minister Willie O Dea, Minister O Cúiv, Junior Minister De Valera were standing directly below the protesters. "The Soldiers of Destiny" quickly dispatched four able bodied young men in Suits from Ógra Fianna Fáil who raced up to the courthouse in an effort to silence the two protesters. They came into the courthouse car park and dragged the two down from the low wall while trying to take their banner by physical force and push them out of the carpark. The protesters stood their ground while a photographer from the Clare Champion recorded the fracas. The members of Ógra Fianna Fáil threathened to call the Gardaí. At this point one of the activists informed them that that their actions in trying to prevent the protest by physically accosting the pair and attempting to steal the banner were the only possible criminal events that had taken place. The activists were subsequently left to continue the protest and the four party members quickly returned to the gathering below where they proceeded to call the Gardaí. A few minutes later two Gardaí arrived in a squad car but did not take an immediate interest in the anti-war demonstration. The Gardaí only spoke to the protesters at the very end of the event to tell them that they "didnt mind them being there but if you continue to shout I will arrest you for a breach of the peace". The heckeler in question asked the Garda if he would consider arresting the members of Fianna Fáil who were shouting back. The Garda did not respond. The F.F. ceremony then ended and the two activists left.