In a statement, Richard Boyd Barrett, chairperson of the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) and Dail election candidate for the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA), has announced that further protests will take place at the Egyptian embassy in Dublin at 12 noon today (Sat 29th) in support of the popular democratic uprising underway in Egypt.
Cllr Boyd Barrett called on the Irish public to show solidarity with the Egyptian people and other Arab people’s rising up against dictatorship, corruption and poverty.
Cllr Boyd Barrett also called on western governments, including the Irish government and political parties, to end all support and break all links with the Mubarak dictatorship, and to publicly demand that the regime ceased its violent repression of the popular democratic protests in Egypt.
Cllr Boyd Barrett noted that as former Minister for Foreign Affairs, the new Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin had previously signed co-operation agreements with the Mubarak regime (see picture above) and called on him to now condemn the Egyptian dictator’s brutal dictatorship and break links with the regime. Cllr Boyd Barrett also noted that the Irish Labour Party was affiliated to Mubarak’s party, the misnamed National Democratic Party (NDP), and called on the party to immediately repudiate its links with the Mubarak regime and lend its support to the democratic struggle of the Egyptian people.
Cllr Boyd Barrett said: “We should every support for the heroic struggle of the Egyptian people against the brutal and corrupt dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak.
It is particularly important that we give all the support we can now to the Egyptian people. The situation is on a knife edge in Egypt with the real possibility that Mubarak will unleash a terrible blood-bath against this movement for democracy and justice. We must do everything we can to prevent that happening and put pressure on the regime to ends its repression of the protests and give up its hold on power.
This movement in Egypt if victorious can bring not only freedom and justice to the long-suffering people of Egypt but will also act as a beacon across the region and beyond for people struggling against corrupt and dictatorial regimes.
The Tunisian and Egyptian people are showing they are the force that can bring democracy, justice and freedom to the Mid-East region in a way that US bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan could never do. If the US and western power’s have any commitment to the democracy they claim to champion in the region they should end all military and financial aid to the Mubarak dictatorship and call on Mubarak to step down.
The Irish government and Irish political parties who have previously co-operated with the Mubarak regime and his political party must come out now and publicly repudiate this brutal dictator and use their influence to ensure an end to his regime and a transition to real democracy in Egypt.
As Foreign Minister Michael Martin signed a co-operation arrangement with the Mubarak regime in 2008 and the Irish Labour Party is affiliated to Mubarak’s NDP party. Fianna Fail and the Labour Party should now use their influence with the regime to demand an end to the brutal suppression of democratic protests and call on Mubarak to step down and allow genuine democratic elections.”
For more info/confirmation: Richard Boyd Barrett 086-7814520