PBP Dundalk response to democrat opinion article "Why Ahern home protest is wrong"

People Before Profit Dundalk


Dear Editor,
We write in response to your opinion article last week titled “ Why Ahern home protest is wrong”

We would like to correct the opinion writer on a number of matters. Firstly, to suggest that this government (in which Dermot Ahern has/is holding a central role) arguably has had a hand in the economic crash is ridiculous, even Bertie Ahern has admitted this publicly.

Secondly, it is lacking in balance to discuss a student protest of 40,000 people in Dublin, and then to discuss the managed and purposely small, one hour, silent and peaceful demonstration at the ministers residence without making clear the very different nature of both protests.

Thirdly, the opinion article stated that People Before Profit are being disingenuous in claiming that the minister is never in his office. What evidence do you have for this? Many of our members as individuals have tried to make appointments with the minister only to be told to call on Fridays to see if the minister is available, but each and every Friday he is not available. He may be willing to meet the writers of opinion articles but he is never available to the public in his office. What are the options that the writer stated are out there and has he missed the overall point of the “bringing home the pain campaign”?

Finally, the opinion writer seems to have overlooked the serious dire straits that our country is in, losing it’s democracy, health system, sovereignty, natural resources, young people and hope, and all because of Dermot Ahern and his cohorts. Although you feel that our protest is not legitimate, neither is Ahern’s so called government (refusing to hold by-elections, lying about the economy in the last election campaign, lying about the Louth hospital).

Would a silent, peaceful one hour protest at the high gates of Cromwell’s home have been illegitimate. Would the poor protesting at the gates of the landed gentry during the famine have been illegitimate? Or the dispossessed who formed the land league, would they have been illegitimate for protesting near the home of absent landlord’s. Was Ghandi’s protest at the residence of the British vice regent in India wrong? Ahern’s home maybe an oasis as both you and he have described it, but due to his actions many homes in Dundalk are now hell.

We suggest that the opinion writer concern himself/herself with realising the gravity of the nation’s troubles and the need for direct action rather than acting as an apologist for a defunct tyrant at the end of his days.

People Before Profit Dundalk attendees at our last public meeting and in light of the opinion article in question have decided to continue our protests not only at the ministers residence but also at his empty constituency offices. Having collected many hundreds of signatures of support for our campaign locally and in a matter of two days has buoyed us and we are sure that the opinion expressed by Anthony Murphy, the opinion writer, is in the minority.

Regards,
Attendees, People Before Profit public meeting.