Anti-war activists pledged in Dublin yesterday to organise a major demonstration against President Bush in the event of a US-EU summit taking place in Ireland this summer.
"We will appeal to the mass of Irish people opposed to the Iraqi War, and to the US use of Shannon Airport, to come out on the streets for a massive demonstration," said the chairman of the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM), Mr Richard Boyd Barrett.
He was commenting on speculation that the summit may take place in June, shortly before the end of Ireland's EU presidency, with Mr Bush in attendance.
Claiming that "fear of enormous protests" meant the summit would be held outside Dublin, he stressed that any such demonstration would be "completely peaceful and democratic".
Mr Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance said the groups which organised the massive anti-war demonstration on February 15th last year had agreed in principle to hold another peaceful protest against any presidential visit.
Mr Cole was speaking at a press conference organised by anti-war groups to mark the anniversary of the 100,000-strong protest march in Dublin last year.
"The Ahern Government ignored them and they share in the responsibility for the deaths of over 10,000 Iraqi civilians in that continuing war," he said.
He accused the Taoiseach of "turning Shannon Airport into a US Air Force base" by allowing more than 24,000 US military aircraft to use Shannon as a transit-point on the way to the war-zone.
Ms Anita Curtis of the NGO Peace Alliance, made up of different non-governmental organisations, urged support for a demonstration next month against the US-led occupation of Iraq. This will take place in Dublin on March 20th, the first anniversary of the Iraqi invasion. The march, organised with the IAWM, will proceed from Parnell Square to the Department of Foreign Affairs on St Stephen's Green.
Recalling that the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, had made a "totally unjust attack" on last year's marchers, Ms Curtis continued: "We are still awaiting an apology."
Dr Stephen Cleghorn spoke as a representative of the organisation, US Military Families Speak Out, which he said consisted of over 1,000 families with members serving in the US forces, many of them currently stationed in Iraq.
"My stepson John is over in Iraq right now with Fifth Army headquarters," he said. "Many of our soldiers that are over there are not necessarily in agreement with this war, I know my own son is not."
He added: "I have also learnt things from him about what it is really like in Iraq and the low morale that he has seen among the soldiers there."
Dr Cleghorn, from Washington DC, is undertaking a speaking tour, visiting UCD and Waterford today and Cork tomorrow.