Equality campaigner and People Before Profit Waterside representative Davina Pulis has said that the 50,000 people who turned out in Dublin at the weekend had sent out a clear ‘Ireland for All’ message.
Said the PBP rep: “I travelled to Dublin for the Ireland for All march and rally. It was powerful to join 50,000 people from all across the island saying no to scapegoating refugees and no to the toxic lies of the far-right.
“Christy Moore was brilliant and so was Bernadette McAliskey. This isn’t just a southern problem.
“There are those here in the north who would be content to blame migrants for the housing crisis, the health service crisis and poverty.
“The mass outpouring in Dublin made it clear that the government and those with power are responsible for the housing crisis and healthcare crisis.
“The far-right and those parties pandering to them have never lifted a finger to pressure Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil to do anything different on housing or inequality.
“The reality is that the far-right hide behind real issues to push their agenda of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.
“They whip-up fear in deprived areas with talk about the threat to women from migrant men.
“The same people regularly attack feminists, have never lifted a finger to challenge sexual assault and joined with the bishops to oppose repealing the 8th amendment.
“They brought Tommy Robinson, the English fascist and Soldier F supporter, to Dublin at the weekend to help them spread their hate. That’s the sort of scum we are dealing with.
“We are in a discussion about creating a new Ireland, about throwing off the reactionary legacy of the last 100 years – the far-right want to go backwards to a place we’re trying to escape.
“That’s why the mass march was important. It’s urgent that we build-up efforts demanding action on housing, on the health service and on deprivation in every community across the island.”
