It has been over a week since well known Traveller and Actor John Connors spoke at a rally organised by elements of the Irish Far Right under the banner to “protect the children.”
Since then John Connors has done a u-turn, and apologised for his comments directed at Roderick O’Gorman and the LGTBQ Community, citing severe mental health issues.
His inciteful speech was on the same platform as Irish Freedom Party, Yellow Vests, National Party and other right wing anti-immigration, racist and as we see later Anti-Traveller movements. His troubled and weak mindset are the type of people these movements thrive on and exploit and manipulate troubled people to do their bidding.
The Irish Traveller People have been cruelly oppressed, and experienced what can only be described as the “last acceptable form of racism”, the Far Right would be no friend to the Travelling Community.
If their true intentions were known, it would be shocking. We are a proud people with a complex and unique culture but we accept and welcome diversity. We know what it is to suffer from racism and exclusion, from a young age to being elderly, we experience bullying, obstacles, job and higher education discrimination, a fine example of the racism we experience on a daily basis, pubs, shops and hotels operating a “no traveller served” issued to staff from management.
Just like many people across the water in England experienced shop signs and B&B’s with the No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish sign. We experience the same hostility on our own shores.
The far right are delusional bigots who draw their ideology from Nazi Germany. That brutal regime was responsible for the wholesale slaughter of most of the European Jewish population as well as the vast number of Roma Gypsies.
The cabal here in Ireland would wish us, the travelling community of Ireland a similar fate, but we will not stand idly by and accept that. We know the “plastic patriots” have no real love for the Travelling Community, but their mask slipped and we see them for what they truly are, bigots and fascists.
The Far Right leadership in Ireland have their own questions to answer regarding their close links to Loyalist & Unionist organisations in the north and connections to the English far right; specifically UKIP which has had its far share of peadophiles and peadophile apologists.
Hermann Kelly has questions over his belief that many of the Children abused by the Clergy here, are creating “false memories” and its part of the “compo culture.” This is sickening and needs to be rejected.
He was to drag us back to a 1950’s Ireland, where Ireland was a mono culture and turned a blind eye to clerical child sex abuse. They seem to believe in the concept of “solving the itinerant” problem. Him and his failed Journalist Friend would have the Travelling Community removed in a similar fashion to how Nazi Germany dealth with people they believed to be inferior.
I urge my fellow Travellers to wholeheartedly reject this odious way of thinking and politics devoid of sensible direction.
These are not patriots, these are evil people who will manipulate anyone to get their message of violence and hate across. I call on all Travellers to reject them and their proxies. The Irish Travelling community has proudly faced down fascism and racism for generations and will continue to do so.
No to racism, no to fascism. No pasaran. Travellers Against Fascism.
James Ward, Galway IRSP.
