Thousands gathered in a silent march on Saturday to highlight their objection to a migrant centre housing Africans in Oughterard, in Galway county, Ireland.
Galway county councillor Tom Welby called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to “come west” to Oughterard to face angry ordinary citizens. The Taoiseach is the prime minister and head of government of Ireland.
Some 1500 people participated in a march through the town, to express opposition to a migrant centre opening at the former Connemara Gateway Hotel. Welby led the march from the village’s Roman Catholic church and finished at the former hotel.
Mórshiúl chiúin in Uachtar Ard - daoine míshásta leis an easpa eolais ón Roinn Dlí faoi phleananna an Rialtais do Ionad soláthar díreach do U. Ard @NuachtRTE @NuachtTG4 pic.twitter.com/tdYKDRJNuU— Sinéad Ní Neachtain (@SineadNiN) September 14, 2019
Many young families wearing yellow safety vests also participated, carrying banners stating “Oughterard says NO”.
The march took place a day after the Taoiseach called on Noel Grealish to “withdraw” and clarify his claim at a meeting in Oughterard last week that African asylum seekers are economic migrants coming to Ireland to “sponge” off taxpayers, the Irish Times reported.
Welby however said people in Oughterard were “not upset” at what Grealish had said. “They are upset that he is being asked to apologise,” according to Welby, who chaired a meeting of citizens attended by an estimated 800 people last Wednesday.
“The media is focusing on one word, as in ‘sponge’,” Welby said. “If Noel Grealish had used the word ‘avail of’ [taxpayers], no one would be talking about it,” the councillor pointed out.
“This is a 60-bed hotel, and we are hearing figures of 200 to 250 people being housed here…that is a 20 per cent increase in the population of Oughterard overnight,”he said....
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Why are they not bansheeing "come out ye black and tans and fight me like a man"!
ReplyDeletecirca 1916 or is that not pc enough circa 1919
circa 2019 as to say
DeleteIt sounds like the Government tried to slip the small town a "mickey." WTFO, 200-250 people housed in a building with only 60 beds? Where is the Frigging FIRE INSPECTOR? Don't no body light a match, make it a NO SMOKING AREA. Put that Kerosene away Bobby. Are you Daft mate? At least take it around the back. What happened to the Irish? It wasn't that long ago, this would have been a COMPLRTLY DIFFERENT STORY.
ReplyDelete