Protesters and supporters of a demonstration organised by Doras Luimní and the Foynes Asylum Seekers for Change in Limerick this afternoon.
It follows the recent removal and transfer of several asylum seekers from the Mount Trenchard Direct Provision centre in Limerick – to another direct provision centre in Cork – after they held a protest there to highlight the conditions at the centre, and the length of time they have been in the direct provision system.
The removed asylum seekers were escorted by armed Gardaí.
Pics: Nasc, Irish Refugee Council and Doras Luimní
Video: USI Ireland via Paula Geraghty
Previously: Free Friday?
Armed? Why the hell were they armed? Ffs, direct provision is a human rights scandal happening in a time of national outrage about human rights scandals. This is the 2020’s mother and baby homes.
They were the only ones available; the legged Gardai were on foot patrol.
The “troublemakers” were escorted by armed Gardai. One of these men (well spoken and articulate) told how he’d been moved 9 times in 11 years, something he attributed to his habit of speaking out both on his own behalf an on that of others less able to do so. I learnt that the direct provision system is unmonitored, there are no standards, no complaints procedures, and no appeals process.
+1
And everyone will pretend they knew nothing.
We’re a small backwater nation of xenophobes, in our little banana republic.
We’d give a few coppers for the little black babies in Africa.. but we don’t want um here.
We will force our young to leave our shores in droves, but we don’t want any foreigners here. Especially ones who aren’t of the same skin colour.
Being held for 14 years is a scandal.
They are not being held. They are free to live where they want.
Wrong.
If you haven’t a bob, if you’re not allowed to earn a living, you’re not free to do anything.
They wouldn’t stay there if they had so many other choices.
Try and have a little empathy.
no-one is free to live where they want.
There’s a difference between xenophobia and bureaucracy. It’s too easy to excuse a broken system by simply blaming the people who run it.
Who’s excusing a broken system?
You are, by deciding it’s easier to just label an entire country as xenophobic.
Loving your royal “we”… should we allow Ronan Mullen to go around saying “we” all the time too, speaking on your behalf like…. pfffft!
your political identities are nearly as skewed as your knowledge of geography dude.
I saw it, scottser.
Can’t see why theses decisions could possibly take this long. Legit? Let them stay. Dodgy claim? Deportation. Nobody wins this way, even stresses aside it cost a fortune to keep them in limbo.
Yeah, a fortune going to the owners of the direct provision centres.
Follow the money..
It’s a system designed as a stop gap solution and not for use over a long term with this amount of people. The whole thing needs reworking from the bottom up, but nobody is ever willing to bother.
Limerick looks fantastic in the pics in fairness….
Really? Doesn’t give away much in those pics. That’s Bedford Row and luckily enough they had the scrubbers out on the paving two nights ago. The Richard Harris statue that looks more like Lord Farquaad from Shrek is *just* out of shot in 3 of the photos.
Looks like nobody is interested in their situation judging on the turn out…
The event was well supported, I think it’s fair to say that the organisers were a bit taken aback by the turnout. I’d estimate about 200 to 300 at the peak, lots of shoppers stopped to listen. It was a very good atmosphere, the only incident (very minor) was when two “gentlemen” from our indigenous travelling community stopped to heckle but they were very swiftly tackled by Karen McHugh of Doras Luimni. Some of the stories were tough to listen to. We as a nation have a good deal of work ahead of us to undo this mess.
Ah we’re all finding it tough. At least they’ve a rough over their heads. A bottle of cop on please and a few spoons.
Roof.
Is there a cloud of stupidity over your head by any chance?