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A PROTEST BY members of the Ukrainian community was held outside Leinster House this afternoon calling on Irish politicians to ban the display of “Russian war symbols” in Ireland.
The campaign, which is backed by the Ukrainian Embassy here, comes after videos and images emerged last weekend of a pro-Russian protest in Dublin which used pro-war symbols.
The letter ‘Z’ has become a symbol of support for the Russian invasion since it began in late February. As well as being displayed on Russian tanks in Ukraine, it has also been displayed on billboards, clothing and apartment blocks in Russia.
Over 100 people attended today’s protest today which was organised by the Ukrainian Crisis Centre in Ireland (UCCI).
Protesters said that the pro-war symbols include the Z symbol, the V symbol and the Georgian ribbon, a reference to the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia.
Several people spoke about the display of the symbol on Irish streets and said not only did it show support for “murder, rape and genocide” but that it is also designed to intimidate.
UCCI spokesperson Nick Kozlov compared the ‘Z’ symbol to the Nazi ‘SS’ symbol and said that any attempts by Russia to downplay the significance of it are lies.
“The ambassador of Russia Yury Filatov stood in front of Irish politicians and said there was no plan to attack. It’s the same thing with the letters. They use it to misinform and say ‘it’s only a letter’. Yes it is only a letter but it’s a letter that is worn by people killing Ukrainian children, women and civilians,” he said.
'Z is death'
— Rónán Duffy (@ronanduffy_) April 14, 2022
A Ukrainian protest outside Leinster House is calling for the Irish government to 'ban Russian war symbols'.
It comes after cars waving Russian flags and adorned with the Z symbol were driven in convoy in Dublin pic.twitter.com/Ny3tlQzPPL
Kozlov told The Journal that the display of the symbol is an affront to a democratic country like Ireland.
It’s an outrage and we are appalled that these symbols could be freely used and abused in a democratic State to represent a system of war. It is an abuse of the democratic structure of Ireland.
Kozlov said he accepts that freedom of expression is also part of a democratic state but that there are examples around the world of the banning of symbols, such as the banning of the swastika in Germany.
I believe that the Irish government could do that by law and prohibit the public display of the swastika and other war signs. I don’t want to abuse the letter Z in the Latin alphabet but when the letter becomes a war sign it’s not any more just a letter but a war crime.
Kozlov also raised particular concern about the Russian holiday of Victory Day 9 May, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany. He said he is concerned that some members of the Russian community here may use the Z symbol on that day.
Protesters at the event displayed banners outlining the anger and pain they felt upon seeing the images of the letter Z being displayed in Ireland.
Ielizaveta Karamushka said that her uncle had been killed last month in the war and that the Z symbol is designed to impose hurt on Ukrainian people.
“It’s targeting the most painful point now, it makes us come back to the horror of what is happening in Ukraine. No matter if they try to declare that they are just letters but the letter ‘S’ was just a letter before ‘SS’.”
Karamushka said it would be unthinkable that the display of the letter could be allowed as world leaders are declare that war crimes and genocide is being committed by Russia in Ukraine.
“Allowing those war signs to be circulated around Ireland is not acceptable. They’re clearly failing to protect our feelings of safety here,” she said.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik was present to offer support to the members of the Ukrainian community and also spoke as part of the protest.
She described the ‘Z’ symbol as “very, very toxic” and that its use should be “reduced and suppressed”.
She said that while she is opposed to the use of the Z symbol, current garda public order powers could be used to stop such displays in the future.
“We don’t in Ireland have a history of banning symbols, unlike say in Germany where you have that legislative framework, we don’t have that framework. But what I think we can use is policing powers under Public Order legislation, where gardaí can use that legislation to stop protests that are intimidatory.”
Bacik added: “I said to the organisers that I’m happy to support them in using the mechanisms that we have in law to do that.”
The Dublin Bay South TD also said that this issue may “come to a head” on 9 May and that she will engage with gardaí on the matter, adding that they “will be well aware”.
In response to the Ukrainian Embassy’s call for the Z symbol to be banned, a Russian Embassy spokesperson told The Journal: “The Embassy does not comment on the activities of other Embassies based in Dublin.”
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That’s good, democracy matters and shouldn’t be ignored just because financially they are a powerhouse
@JC O’Connachain: you’re right, but I was a bit put of by “As democratically elected legislators” from someone who was explicitly unelected by the people. Looking through the list, it is a collection of previously elected people trying to issue sanctions on a country with blatant human rights issues, but doing from the safety of their unelected ivory towers.
@Brynþór Patrekursson: how exactly does this work? Does the govt here sign up Ireland to the list or is it that Ireland has signed up to it because some unelected individuals have signed us up to IPAC?
@JC O’Connachain: China is a dïsgusting country. What we’re seeing now from the CCP is an exact replica of Nazi Germany with infringements and false claims to neighbouring countries territories and claims to the entire south China sea. Not to mention the cultural genocide inflicted on the Tibetan, uighir and Mongol peoples.
It’s adorable that you think this has anything to do with “democracy” rather than our own western economic power houses trying to form an iron clad trade bloc to hobble China.
@SJF: Not as adorable as you with your shirt, tie and wee stethoscope!!
@SJF: whatever spin they put on it I don’t care, this should have been done 10 years ago, who wants a future world financially controlled by the Chinese, also sick of 9 out of ten items that comes into my home having made in China on the box and then breaking after 2 weeks to 6 months, lol
@Hugo Bugo: Well the western powers plundered China for decades..In less than 70 years China has become on par with the U.S.and Europe in Economic matters. It must gaul the Impearlist nations and especially the U.S. they backed the wrong horse and Lost China. It still rankles the U.S.
@SJF: what you say is true. But it’s also true that China has some horrific human rights abuses. There is always going to be that factor of interested parties, money to be made etc… But that doesn’t mean we turn a cheek to concentration camps in Xinjiang. We also have a right to stand up for our own citizens, and yes the EU as a trading bloc has a right to protect itself against China, US or any other economic powers. And of course, China does try to hobble its own competitors? The news in Asia is full of it. So yes, economic plays but kinda justified.
@SJF: shush, now. We’ve always been at (cold) war with EastAsia. Even that time Xi got that state visit to Britain in 2015 — we were always at war with EastAsia. In fact that didn’t happen. Fake news.
(Orwell was wrong about needing NewSpeak to control the masses.).
@Hugo Bugo: the idea that the Chinese can’t manufacture good quality items is a myth. They have the world’s best industrial processes. 10 years ago many of the signatories to this document were celebrating globalisation and outsourcing, and many still are. Provided China provided cheap labour it was fine. Now that it competes on technology and challenges the US empire in its backyard, it’s evil.
@Donal Desmond: most of Europe isn’t, or hasn’t been, imperial. It’s really the US that has its nose out of joint because China is becoming independent of US imperialism. The EU needs to stay out of this, and it is looking like it mostly is.
@Petulant mcbarity: Up to the end of WW1 all major powers in Europe.. England, France, Germany, Russia Italy, Portugal also U.S.Japan had major territory and economic concessions in China. At the end of WW2 British interests included Shanghai and Hong Kong..by then the major player was the U.S. who backed a dictatorship and Lost. To this day it rankles the U.S. on how to use their phrase (Lost China.).
@Hugo Bugo: How did these 9 out of ten items come into your home? You need a burglar alarm. O no! They’re imported from China too.
I think McDowell should look closer to home if he wants to cast his gaze at extreme far left communism. The proposed “right to housing” bill supported by many elected TD’s contains in part 2, (3) the right to seize property “for the common good.” Many of the most heinous crimes in the history of humanity have been built on the foundations of “the common good.”
“The State, accordingly, shall delimit the right to private property where it is necessary
to ensure the common good and to vindicate the said right to housing for all residents
of Ireland.”
https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2020/21/eng/initiated/b2120d.pdf
@Seamus Hanratty: Straight out of the CCP playbook too. I can’t see this passing a referendum, maybe on the second or third time they put it on us.
@Seamus Hanratty: Well we all know where capitalist banks and big business facilitated by the political parties that are again in power has got us. Our grandchildren will still be paying for this gangsterism.
Seems the journal has a bit of China syndrome as well, why are the comments closed on the hunger strike misinformation article????
Awe but thy make everything we buy.
And allow child labour supported by big brands…
@Eddie Michael: don’t forget the virus, sharing nation.
@Eddie Michael: Then why buy it. From Penny’s to Brand names products are made cheaply in the far East, Yet the western companies thave no problem that their profits are produced by child Labour. Remember it was the Regan /Thatcher free markets who gave the go ahead for big business to move their plants to cheaper countries .
@Dave Barrett: an engineered virus….
@Eddie Michael: agreed. Will WHO agree with us though. There was 13 different variants in Wuhan well before Christmas.
@Eddie Michael: China broke the world.
So the Chinese government aren’t such a great bunch of lads after all?
@mikeinclon: have a look at what they are up to in the South China Sea. I’m guessing there will be military conflict there within a few years.
@Paul Furey: they’ve economically clobbered all the concerned nations into accepting their 9 dash line. There’s still the odd article in Asia on it but they’ve generally accepted it now at the political level with favours from China. The US might cause a war over it, Vietnam may resist China on it (they’re toughness personified) and US-Vietnamese meetings on the subject did take place, but I think they came to nothing. ROC also disagree but then PRC is just looking for an excuse to invade so I can’t see them kicking up too much a fuss, unless the US leverage their weapons supply to get them to proclaim their opposition more.
@Paul Furey: They are the only nation in the world that wants the nine dash line, while it infringes on the territory of at least 6 countries. But because they are the ones that make maps, they put the 9 dash line on all maps made in China. The Vietnamese HATE this, and especially now that China is doing a salami strategy of building one military base on an uninhabited island, and then another, and then another…..and BOOM! now its China’s, the rest of the world has no say.
There needs to be a tougher stance on the one China policy. No other nation has territorial disputes with as many neighbours as they do.
@Paul Cunningham: you sure about that? It’s nothing to do with ROC? 1947? Lol
Jeez
@Ní neart go cur le chéile.: this thread really took a turn to the serious from my poor attempt at a Fr. Ted joke. Interesting stuff though lads.
@mikeinclon: lol, when years ago first saw this “great bunch of lads” saying, was wondering why saying that, after watch the father … lol
As soon as China learns that the Healy Reas are against them it will know that the end is nigh.
Ireland is being a good little сhickwawa. The US master says bark and of we go and ineffectively bark. Irish politicians should be developing reactions with China and seek to understand in depth Chinese business, social and political culture. It would also make sense to understand who motivated the Hong Kong groups last year and for what purpose. Ireland should take a position of supporting a strong and stable China. One should remember that a one party system in China is equivalent to our Dail. There are many divisions in the party and democratic structures at these levels. Introducing another party is like having another constitution in Ireland. It is about time that our school teacher politician mentality grew into a university professor way of looking at things.
@THINK Paddy THINK: What utter rubbish! You are a cheerleader for a one party police state.
China is struggling to control a vast area and a myriad of different groups through the use of re-education camps, state propaganda and outright force.
The respective governments of Ireland and China are polar opposites. The Dail is a parliament elected by the people. The CCP is unelected and therefore it is tyrannical by default. Your claim of democracy within such tyranny is hilarious because it is ludicrous. There have been factions in every dictatorship in history, that didn’t make any difference to the people being ruled and oppressed. Who do you think is fooled by such BS?
@Will: Bit like when the U.S. had their camps in South East Asia… You conveniently fail to mention what the U.S. version of democracy did in Vietnam, Loas, Cambodia. The fact America lost China by backing a despot also seems to escape you.
@Will: i forgot to mention the senate in Ireland probably a better analogy. Nonetheless., Ireland is a pseudo democracy in that opposing views are not respected and pissed upon (IRA, Anti LGBTZ, Sinn Fein, etc). Not every view is tolerated. So why can you not respect a different political system where not every view is also not tolerated.
So in summary: Not a great bunch of lads?
Can we join the states and Canada in officially calling Xinjiang a genocide now?
The population of China is approximately 1.4 billion people.
@Philip Mulville: I’m sure the Chinese government use most of their time to analyse the views of Irish senators
I am completely opposed to Ireland joining the U.S. led coalition against the People’s Republic of China, a country that has taken more out of poverty than any country in history and whose handling of Uighur terrorists is a lesson in how to deal with this issue compared to the U.S. and West’s policy of indiscriminate bombing and massacres of all and sundry including thousands of innocent civilians. I believe there is much more and better democracy in China than in the facade of four year voting in Ireland and the West
@Brian Smyth: Why were they in poverty in the first place?
Yep, the CCP.
@TonyB: The Chinese revolution and the defeat of the foreign invaders was led by the Communist Party of China. The amazing progress of that country from serfs of the imperial powers to the stunning progress that has been made is down to the CCP. It doesn’t matter what the commentators in the west think, it’s what the people of China know to be true that matters.
Welcome to the party Ireland. Be prepared for some economic pushback from the CCP bullies but standing up to bullies is always the best way to go.
@TonyB: China stood up to the bullying of Impearlist powers and won.
have your say