The Green Party is calling for massive protests against the planned visit of controversial US President Donald Trump, which is due to go ahead in November, saying his "policies do not reflect the Irish people's values".
Trump will be in Europe on November 11, to participate in the armistice commemorations in Paris, marking the centenary of the end of WWI. Ireland is among the countries he intends to visit during that time. A statement from the White House said he plans to "renew the deep and historic ties between our two nations." He is expected to spend two days in the State, with one in Dublin, and another at Doonbeg, County Clare, where his golf course is located.
In response, The Green Party is calling on the public to "show their disgust and rejection of the Trump administration's policies" by turning out in large-scale mass protest around the country. The party's Galway West candidate, Pauline O'Reilly, said protests against the US president's visit would be justified. "His treatment of migrant families, together with his withdrawal of funding from NGOs in Palestine, demonstrates his lack of respect for human rights," she said.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the Trump administration "champions policies that are destroying our planet, destabilising international order, and reaching new political depths by appealing to racism, misogyny, xenophobia and hatred. These policies do not reflect the Irish people's values - we need to show him and the world that this is not normal. Decency, integrity and fact-based politics still exist and are worth defending. We're calling on Irish people to tell our Government to cancel this visit; and for them to demonstrate in never-before-seen numbers should they fail to do so."
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, in a Tweet, said: "President Trump will visit Ireland in November. The US President is always welcome in Ireland. Our two countries have such strong historic, economic, cultural and family ties. Maintaining those connections is always a top priority. It will be an opportunity to follow up on the issues discussed in the White House in March including migration, trade, climate change and human rights issues."
