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Boycott Actions On Rise In Ireland.

In Blog, Politicsby Ronan Burtenshaw22 Comments

On Thursday Ireland saw one of its busiest days of action yet for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, Ronan Burtenshaw reports. As the death toll in Gaza rose above 1,600, actions took place in six locations across the country in shops that stock Israeli goods. In Cork, Galway, Castlebar, Westport and Limerick activists went to Marks and Spencer, Tesco, and SuperValu. They filled trollies with Israeli products, brought … Read More

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Help For Gaza Begins At The Till.

In Blog, Politicsby Ronan Burtenshaw39 Comments

Activists carried out some actions in solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement which targets Israeli apartheid. Ronan Burtenshaw sent us this report from those involved. As Israel’s massacre in Gaza intensifies, activists carried out BDS actions after yesterday’s Dublin demo. Here they explain their motivations and encourage others to join the boycott campaign against Israel: This morning, after massive demonstrations of solidarity around the world with the … Read More

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Following In Madiba’s Footsteps Seriously.

In Blog, Politicsby Ronan Burthenshaw3 Comments

On Nelson Mandela Day Ronan Burtenshaw examines the anti-apartheid hero’s connections with Palestine and asks what his legacy would demand of us as Israel steps up its assault on Gaza. The sight of world leaders whose governments had enthusiastically supported apartheid South Africa at December’s funeral services should caution us to prepare for a day evacuated of any real meaning. In death Mandela was recuperated by the powerful – stripped … Read More

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Chile Cuts Tie With Israel.

In Blog, Politicsby Ronan Burtenshaw9 Comments

This week the Chilean government suspended free trade agreement negotiations with Israel over its continuing massacres in Gaza. Ronan Burtenshaw has a look behind the headline and finds historic and ethnic ties between Chile and Palestine.   It isn’t the first Latin American state to take a strong stance on the issue. In 2009, Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with Israel altogether and Bolivia limited them in the wake of Operation … Read More

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Martin Luther King and the Obama Presidency

In History, Interviews, Politics, Uncategorizedby Ronan Burtenshaw2 Comments

In the second of a three-part series Ronan Burtenshaw asks Gary Younge, Guardian journalist and author of ‘The Speech‘, about what the legacy of Martin Luther King means for the Obama presidency.   What do you think Martin Luther King, had he survived, would think of the first African-American President? Younge: I can’t answer that question without first saying that it would be invidious to pretend that I can channel Martin … Read More

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The Price We Pay

In #rabble7, Culture, History, Interviews, Politicsby Ronan BurtenshawLeave a Comment

Ronan Burtenshaw examines the State of the Nation for Ireland’s youth. From internships to precarious employment, what is the reality behind the figures? Young people in the West increasingly find themselves with worse standards of living and career prospects than their parents. But is there really a crisis of young people here and abroad? And, if so, why? Unite economist Michael Taft puts it strongly, “don’t be under any illusions. … Read More

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A Magdalene Story

In #rabble7, Highlights, Historyby Ronan Burtenshaw8 Comments

Ronan Burtenshaw interviews Martina Keogh – a survivor of the Gloucester (now Seán McDermott) Street Laundry – about her experiences of incarceration and forced labour at the hands of the Church and state. Martina Keogh was sixteen when she was arrested for fighting in 1966. Originally from Whitefriar Street in the south inner-city she spent much of her childhood in institutions or struggling with a sexually-abusive step-father. At her court … Read More

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A Summer Holiday

In #rabble6, Blog, Culture, Politics, Print Editionby Rónán Burtenshaw1 Comment

 Tear gas. Sirens. Stinging, streaming eyes see paramilitary police with automatic weapons chase gas-masked protesters on wet streets. Burning skin. Makeshift medical centres, injured and bloodied bodies. I hadn’t intended it to be like that. I travelled to Istanbul on May 29th for a holiday. The first day panned out as expected – kebaps, sun in Gulhane Park, a visit to Dolmabahçe Palace. But on the morning of the second … Read More