Anti Racist Activists on Trial

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday January 31, 2002 14:35 by Mags - Dublin 11

Support Activists on Trial • Fighting Racism is not a Crime. 2 protests next week.

Eleven anti-racist activists are before the courts in relation to a protest against state racism which took place at the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's constituency office on March 28th 2000.

On that day a short sit-in took place at the office. This action was taken because, on that day, the
government was meeting to discuss a number of draconian measures to be introduced against asylum-seekers. These included:
• The introduction of detention camps.
• Asylum seekers being forced to live on prison ships (so called 'flotels').
• Forcible fingerprinting of asylum applicants.
• An expansion of the compulsory dispersal system.

Anti-racist groups decided to highlight these injustices in a direct but entirely peaceful manner. Occupations have been used many times in the past to draw attention to unjust actions by governments in Ireland.

All eleven activists were arrested and two women were later strip searched in Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station. The activists have now been charged under the 1994 Public Order Act and the trial is on February 11th and 12th 2002. The activists face heavy fines and possibly prison sentences. The use of the Public Order Act against peaceful protesters is an attack on civil liberties and an attempt to intimidate political activists into shutting up about state injustice and racism in Ireland.

In the past year the government has introduced compulsory dispersal, leading to widespread racist
feeling in many areas. All asylum applicants must now give their fingerprints to immigration officials, in effect branding them as criminals. The deportation of asylum seekers receives no publicity in the media, and their legal rights to court appeals are ignored. Politicians are gearing up for an election using vicious anti-immigrant phetoric. Last week saw Ireland's first racist murder, unfortunately it is unlikely to be the last.

We believe that racism is the real crime, fighting against it is not a crime.
We are calling for the charges against the activists to be dropped.

You can help by:
• Attending the protests listed below.
• Making a donation to account below.

Support the Dublin 11 - Events

Protest at the Dail
Picket and event to hand in petitions calling for the charges to be dropped
Thursday 7th February at 12.30 pm at the Dáil
All welcome, bring friends and banners. Please publicise!

Protest at the Courts
Support the activists at start of their trial
Monday 11th Februaryat 10.15 am
Metropolitan District Court (Old Richmond Hospital), North Brunswick St., Dublin 7

Donations towards our legal costs can be made to the following account:

Dublin 11 Legal Defence Fund - Ulster Bank, College Green, Dublin 2
Account Number: 17519059
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