Politicians and activists have said they will be holding protests during the visit of US President Donald Trump to Ireland.
It was announced on Friday that the visit would take place as part of a European tour that will also see him travel to Paris for a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the armistice following the First World War.
The Irish Labour party, Greens and Solidarity-People Before Profit all pledged protests during the visit.
Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan released an official statement on Friday night urging people to “show their disgust and rejection of the Trump administration’s policies by turning out, as we did during the Iraq War in 2003, in large-scale mass protest around the country”.
He said: “Donald Trump’s administration champions policies that are destroying our planet, destabilising international order, and reaching new political depths by appealing to racism, misogyny, xenophobia and hatred.
“These policies do not reflect the Irish people’s values – we need to show him and the world that this is not normal. Decency, integrity and fact-based politics still exist and are worth defending.
“We’re calling on Irish people to tell our Government to cancel this visit; and for them to demonstrate in never-before-seen numbers should they fail to do so.”
Workers’ Party Cork City councillor Ted Tynan said that the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, were not representing the the majority of Irish people in extending the welcome. “The deep and abiding connection between this country and the United States is based, not on the fawning and false obsequiousness of the Taoiseach and minister Coveney, but on the shared experiences of our peoples.”
Trump was originally invited to Ireland by former Taoiseach Enda Kenny on his final St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. It is thought the president will spend two days in Ireland.
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