IAWM Press Release, 20 November 2015
 
United Against Racism: Refugee Solidarity Rally
 
Saturday 21 November, 1pm
 
The Spire, O’Connell St., Dublin.
 
 
The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) is supporting the solidarity rally for refugees tomorrow at 1pm, Saturday 21 November at the Spire, O Connell Street Dublin. The rally, planned several weeks ago, is organised by Unite Against Racism and is supported by a multitude of organisations.
 
 
The theme of the rally is ‘Winter is Coming: We have not Forgotten!’
 
The IAWM noted that even prior to the events in Paris last weekend the attitude of EU Governments towards refugees had begun to harden. This looks likely to get worse with many right wing politicians and some media outlets drawing links between refugees and terrorism. This is ironic given that the refugees are fleeing the horrific experience of terrorism that Paris witnessed last weekend whether this be from shootings, suicide bombings, shellings or bombs from the air and whether these are carried out by Isis, Assad’s forces or the air forces of France, the U.S. or Russia.
 
Jim Roche, PRO IAWM, noted:
 
“It is important that we continue to highlight the plight of the refugees who are are making incredibly brave and dangerous journeys fleeing from the violence of wars prolonged, if not directly instigated, by western governments. We have a duty in the west to offer shelter to these refugees and equally importantly to stop the wars that lead to both the refugee crisis and the rise in terrorist attacks. We owe it to the memory of all the victims of terrorism, whether they be in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad or Raqqa.”
 
 
 
United Against Racism organiser Memet Uludag said;
 

Irish Anti-War Movement Press Statement 16 November 2015

After Paris: Stop the Terror, Stop the Wars

The Irish Anti-War Movement believes it is necessary to break out of the vicious cycle of war, terrorism and more war and more terrorism in which we have become locked.

The appalling events in Paris come 14 years after 9/11, (itself a response to previous wars and occupations in the Middle East) and the launching of George Bush’s so-called ‘War on Terror’. These 14 years have seen wars on and in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and elsewhere and yet, predictably the terrorist attacks continue. And still there are those like Francois Hollande and David Cameron who want to respond with more war and more bombing.

The day before the Paris atrocity David Cameron and US Secretary of State were celebrating the killing of so-called ‘Jihadi John’ by a drone strike. The day after the Paris slaughter Francois Hollande says he will respond with ‘merciless war’ and France launches massive air strikes on the IS held city of Raqqa. But no one should imagine that these drone strikes and bombing raids only kill targeted terrorists – on the contrary they kill hundreds and cumulatively thousands and thousands of ordinary people thus fuelling further bitterness.

The anger and rage inevitably unleashed by the horrifying attacks in Paris are then replicated in Syria, Iraq, or wherever the war is unleashed. The bitter desire for revenge continues.

The Irish Anti-War Movement says we must break out of this cycle by stopping making war in the Middle East or, where the Irish Government is concerned, assisting the making of war by allowing the US military use of Shannon.

Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) Press Release, 10 November 2015

1.     Veterans for Peace wreath laying at Garden of Remembrance, Dublin this morning at 10.00am

IAWM Press Statement, 22 September 2015

END THE WESTERN-LED WARS AND PLUNDER THAT CAUSE THE REFUGEE CRISIS

See link to poster on FB here - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153304735858347&set=gm.1146074342082252&type=1&theater

As Irish politicans return to the Dáil this week the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) is holding a public rally this Thursday at 5.30pm at the EU Offices in Dawson Street Dublin to highlight the plight of refugees fleeing war, the complete innadequacy of the EU Governments’ response and the fact that many EU Governments are actively engaged in the wars that are causing the refugee crisis in the first place.
While Governments prevaricate and now even those countries previously willing are sealing the borders, the desperate refugees fleeing wars in the middle east need our help more than ever. This is an era-defining moment and it needs clear, open, honest organisation to solve it.

Governments should stop sitting on the fences or playing to their xenophobic galleries and welcome the generous response by ordinary citizens throughout Europe, including here in Ireland. Those people and organisations must be allowed to be part of the organised solution.

IAWM Press Statement, 18 September 2015

PROTEST AT EU COMMISSION AND PARLIAMENT OFFICES, DAWSON STREET, DUBLIN, 5.30PM. THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2015.

REFUGEES ARE VICTIMS OF WAR - LET THEM IN!

STOP THE WARS FUELING THE REFUGEE CRISIS

The Irish Anti-War Movement announced today that it will hold a protest at the EU Offices next Thursday evening at 5.30pm in relation to the ongoing refugee crisis.

The statement noted:

IAWM Press Statement, 08 September 2015

END THE WESTERN-LED WARS AND PLUNDER THAT CAUSE THE REFUGEE CRISIS

The Irish Anti-War Movement is supporting the public rally in solidarity with refugees organised by United Against Racism this Saturday in Dublin.

Memet Uludag of both United against Racism and the IAWM said:

“For too long and too many times the European governments have been engaged in a number game and racing to the bottom - in competition with each other - in terms of who should take the least possible number of refugees.

Since end - 2014, there have been many things presented to us as the cause of the refugees coming to Europe.

It was the ‘summer season and the calm seas’, or ‘the smugglers’, or ‘the pull factor of rescue operation’ (as supposed to the push factors of war and death etc.) or the EU-neighbouring governments not stopping refugees from entering Europe. In fact none of these were the actual causes of the refugee crisis.

Our immediate duty should be to demand that our government must do more, a lot more. The numbers game should stop and the European Union (in a united fashion) but also individual countries, should do the right thing before it’s really too late for thousands of innocent people.

We are calling on the EU to open borders and welcome the refugees.

No more refugee deaths, no more delays.

No more Fortress Europe. No more racist refugee policies.