Irish eyes not smiling over Bush visit

[UpInArms]

http://news.bostonherald.com/international/view.bg?articleid=33605

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS, Ireland - President Bush's brief 18-hour stop in Ireland last week occurred exactly 41 years after John F. Kennedy became the first president to visit the Emerald Isle. And how times have changed.

In 1963 the Irish went wild over the first Irish-American Catholic to occupy the Oval office. Everywhere he went, tens of thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse.Framed pictures of Kennedy can still be found hanging on living-room walls across the island.

Likewise, President Bill Clinton was treated like a rock star by a 10,000-strong crowd that packed central Limerick in September 1998 to hear him speak.

Six years later, and 15 miles from Limerick, combat-ready Irish tanks patrolled roads around county Clare's Drumoland Castle, where President Bush met European Union leaders to patch up differences over Iraq. Some 2,000 soldiers and 4,000 police were deployed to thwart possible terrorist attacks.

<snip>

Watching the protesters march past her Ennis home, 65-year-old Christine Whelan echoed the views of many, saying, ``I'm not anti-American, I'm anti-Bush. I think he's trigger happy.''

Whelan said she loves the United States and once spent ``five great years'' living there. But she believes Bush made the world a far more dangerous place by invading Iraq.

...more...

[rhino47]

1. I going to ireland in august

Ironically staying in Drumoland Castle.I was reading on the uk guardian ,and scotlander that the protests for bush were 20,000 strong in dublin.They had protests all over ireland not just in shannon.

[adadem]

2. need to add a snip

``To think this has happened in our country,’` she sighed. ``When Clinton and Kennedy were here, we never had anything like this. It's a disgrace.''

I recall marching at the inaugural protest while chanting "Shame, shame, shame". Never dreamed at the time that it would ever, ever be this shameful.

[Paradise]

3. Umm, could they be more like, umm

WILD-EYED???

[Frances]

4. I hope more people in Ireland send pictures of the tanks

to their relatives in the U.S.

Rove is counting on getting the Irish Catholic vote because of abortion (the Bishops saying that anyone who votes for a candidate who is pro choice must go to confession).

Being pro-choice isn't as bad as what Bush is doing.

[diamond14]

5. PHOTOS and links to the real stories....

link to the Independent Media in Ireland...PHOTOS...lots of stories
http://www.indymedia.ie/index.php

here's a thread with LOTS of photos from Ireland....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1870587





Arresting young peaceful protestors in their PEACE village, near Shannon Airport

[Just Me]

9. Oh, thank you so much for the pics and links!!!!

And I repeat after you:

"All of us must have the courage to stand up and condemn what is wrong." (Nelson Mandela)

[struggle4progress]

10. Cheers for the Irish! eom

[bill]

6. What a difference a fascist makes

[struggle4progress]

8. Beautiful! eom

[testing123]

12. Wow....look at that crowd!

We didn't see anything like that on our soviet news TV did we?

[struggle4progress]

7. Oooh! I was SO close to predicting this headline!

Post #17 in
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=642532

:(

[DinahMoeHum]

11. Sheesh, W has that talent for pissing people off, doesn't he?

I mean, to piss off the Irish people, some of our nation's staunchest allies, takes a special talent.

:evilfrown: