Midlands North West – Hustings, Town Halls, Disability and the Sinister
With the Midlands North West European Elections coming ever closer the calendar of events is getting ever busier.
University of Galway Students’ Union will be hosting MEP Candidate Hustings for the
Midlands North West Region at a revised time of 5pm on Monday 20th of May upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn – This event so far includes 11 candidates who are running to sit as MEPs, 8 of which are Connaught based representatives.
Meanwhile European Movement Ireland ‘European Elections Town Hall – Midlands-North-West Constituency’ is taking place tomorrow; Thursday, 16 May at the Galmont Hotel and will include panel speakers Dr. Brendan Flynn, Head of Discipline Political Science, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway; Karen Coleman, Editor, EU News Radio and Máirín Ní Ghráda, TG4 and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. This event will see journalists and academics discuss topics such as the role of the European Elections, the impact of the European Parliament in our daily lives, and the role of voters in shaping our future.
For more information and to register for the EU Elections Midlands North- West Town Hall tap here.
The Disability Federation of Ireland has asked EU Election Candidates to take their Disability pledge ahead of the Elections – At the time of Publication Five of the Midlands North west Candidates have signed it – an up to date list can be viewed here along with the pledge.
And on a more sinister note – We recieved a release from Dublin Communities Against Racism this week detailing some of the shocking events that have been taking place around the climate of this election:
Footage has gone viral several times of far-right agitators threatening Sinn Féin candidates and removing posters – in Coolock, Blanchardstown and other areas. These have been amplified and promoted by right-wing propaganda sites and social media accounts to encourage copycat behaviour.
Dublin Communities Against Racism.
Inflammatory graffiti has sprung up, for instance in Cabra , accusing Sinn Féin of being traitors, with the aim of provoking aggressive behaviour towards canvassers. Very serious incidents have occurred targetting other parties and independents.
This includes – Two women in the Social Democrats were threatened with knives by men in Smithfield. Independent Left councillor John Lyons in Artane-Whitehall has also had his posters torn down and been directly threatened with violence by men removing them. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has had graffiti reading ‘Paul Murphy RIP’ appear outside his family home. A sitting councillor, Tania Doyle in Ongar was viciously attacked by a man demanding her views on immigration, along with her husband, when setting up posters in the vicinity of her own home.