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21st May 2003
Demand the Right to vote - All-Ireland Day of Action
Sinn Fein Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP today called on people to come out on May 29th and demand the right to vote. He was speaking at a press conference to announce details of an island wide day of action, in over 30 cities and towns, to protest the cancellation of the May electionsand to call for the elections to go ahead in June.Mr. McGuinness said:
``Next Thursday, 29th May, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Six Counties should be going to the polls to elect 108 Assembly members and a new cross party Executive. Instead the British government have cancelled the elections, shut down the political institutions and created a dangerous political vacuum.
``The cancelling of the elections is wrong. It is undemocratic. It is disenfranchising the people of the Six Counties. And it was taken against the wishes of those representing the majority of the electorate in the north and the Irish government.
``The British government cancelled the elections because they believed the outcome did not suit their gameplan.That is unacceptable.
``I want to urge people to come out on May 29th and peacefully demand your right to vote by joining protests in your local area.
``It is time for people to reclaim our democratic rights. It is time for people to reclaim the peace process.''
Note
There will be a nationwide poster and advertising campaign in the run up to the May 29th Day of Action with 10,000 posters and 200,000 leaflets. Further events will be confirmed closer to May 29th.
Events have been organised for over 30 towns and cities throughout Ireland including - Dublin, Belfast, Derry, Letterkenny, Galway,Tuam, Westport, Castlebar, Sligo, Limerick, Cork, Tralee, Waterford, Omagh, Enniskillen, Lurgan, and Strabane.
Supporters of Irish democracy are also planning events in London, America and elsewhere.
Connacht/Ulster
25th May Orga SF members will lobby the monthly Donegal County Council meeting.
29th May Buses from throughout Co Donegal to Letterykenny for 8pm Rally in Market Square.
29th May Galway - Mock elections and local newspaper campaign. Street theatre on Shop Street, Galway City. Protests for Loughrea, Tuam and Ballinasloe.
29th May Mayo - Protests in Westport, Ballina, Castlebar and Charlestown.
29th May Sligo - Protest outside GPO 5-6pm.
Dublin
27th May Sinn Fein TDs lead a debate on the peace process in Leinster House.
May 28th Former Sinn Fein Assembly members to protest against the denial of democracy at Leinster House.
May 29th 8-9.30am leafleting of DART stations locally and centrally. 2-4pm Protest Flotilla on the River Liffey.5-6pm White line pickets along major city centre routes. 8pm Rally outside the British Embassy, with musicians, street theatre and keynote speakers.
Leinster
May 29th Protests on all the main roads during day and Dublin for 8pm
N1/N2/N3 Navan, Drogheda and Dundalk - Dublin
N4 Longford, Edgeworthstown, Mullingar, Kinnegad - Dublin
N6 Athlone at 10am, Moate 12 noon, Kilbeggan 1pm, Kinnegad - Dublin
N7/N9 New Ross, Kilkenny City, Carlow, Naas and onto Dublin
N11 Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, Wicklow, Bray - Dublin
Munster
29th May Cork - Protests in Cork City, Mallow, Middleton, Clonakilty
Waterford Protests in Waterford City
Kerry Protests in Tralee
30th May March and Rally, Ahern Crowly commemoration and related programme of events 30th May to June 1st.
Six Counties
29th May 10am all Assembly election candidates and elected representatives will hand in a letter of protest to local electoral offices in Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Derry, Omagh and Glengormely.
11.30am Sinn Fein Press Conference, Belfast.
12-2pm City centre protests in 5 centres. Street theatre in Belfast at the Corn Market and in Omagh. Mock Ballots in Enniskillen, Lurgan and Derry.
5-6.30pm White line pickets in Belfast, Toomebridge, the Ballygawley roundabout, Strabane, Clough, Downpatrick,the Kinnego roundabout in Lurgan and the Craigavon bridge in Derry.
7.30pm Belfast City Centre Rally, Belfast City Hall
Sinn Fein Press Office, 44 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Tel: +353-1-8726100 and +353-1-8726839 · Fax +353-1-8733074
E-mail: sfpress@eircom.net · Website: http://www.sinnfein.org
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