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War refugee protest planned for Dublin printable version

24 Aug 2015: posted by the editor - Events, Ireland

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) has called a protest at 5pm on Thursday 27 August at the EU Commission Offices on Dawson Street, Dublin to highlight what is says is the inadequate response of the EU to the humanitarian refugee crisis.

The IAWM statement claimed that the UN has noted that the overwhelming majority of people are refugees fleeing from wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and beyond. All of these countries have been devastated by wars in which western imperial countries have played a central role.

THE IAWM is calling for an end to the western-led wars and plunder that cause the refugee crisis and says that war refugees should be afforded sanctuary.

Memet Uludag, IAWM Steering Committee member, speaking from the Greek island of Kos said: “The conditions of refugees in Kos is very difficult. Hundreds of families, children, young-old people are sleeping rough on the streets while waiting for their papers to go to mainland Greece and beyond. The atmosphere at the central police centre is very tense. Refugees are processed very slowly and there are regular moments of protests against the police. The police is extremely harsh towards refugees.

“As more refugees arrive to Kos, the situation is getting worse for the waiting people. As well as racist reactions from some of the islanders there are also many local activists and groups who are helping the refugees. But the real problem is the long processing time the refugees must go through before being allowed to mainland Greece and beyond. Children suffer most.”

He concluded by noting: “The current EU policies do not want to deal with the ever growing refugee crisis in a humanitarian way and the EU not allowing free-safe-legal passage for people to seek asylum makes the situation worse in places like Kos. One thing is sure, refugees are not going to Europe as a life choice or just because it is easy to live in EU. They are facing a choice between death at home or homelessness-unemployment and a totally uncertain future in the regional countries or a relative safety and protection in Europe - or at least the hope for it.”

Jim Roche, PRO IAWM said: “The huge investment in war and the arms industry by the US and EU should be diverted to assist a formal programme of organised settlement of refugees throughout Europe. The US and EU governments should be forced to invest in peacemaking instead of war and plunder that has caused the refugee crisis in the first place. In the first instance we need to seriously assist the traumatised refugees who are fleeing war.”

Speakers so far include:
Ruth Coppinger TD, Socialist Party
Cllr. Brid Smith, People before Profit
Rev. Patrick Comerford, President Irish CND
Caoimhe Butterly, Anti Racist Network
Representative from Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre KRAC
Memet Uludag, IAWM (audio link from island of Kos, Greece)
A Syrian refugee

Tags: War refugees

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