Outside the US Embassy today, January 4th, about 60 protesters gathered to condemn the recent US intervention in Venezuela. This intervention, dubbed the “Hollywood Operation” by protestors, was staged by the Trump Administration to seize President Nicolas Maduro and comes in the wake of months of heightening tensions between the two countries.
Anti-Imperialist Action groups, including the Student Neutrality Front, organised the protest to highlight their disapproval of the gunboat diplomacy and the “illegal terror attack” perpetrated by the US, with speakers saying “in this, there is no diplomacy – only the gun.”
Chants of “Viva, Viva Venezuela” and “US Troops out of Shannon” rang out following words from the various speakers. The speeches dealt with the primary concerns of the Anti-Imperialist and Neutrality activist groups in Ireland, namely, the overreach of the US in its involvement in foreign conflicts, “adventurism”, and imperialism. Notably, the motifs of solidarity with Palestine and struggles against imperialism in the Global South were prominent, as protestors called for US troops to be removed from Ireland and Europe, saying “Yankee troops out of Shannon”.
Protestors have emphasised the “staunch opposition” of the Venezuelan people to this intervention, and referred to it as a “warning” by the US to other Central and South American countries that are not seen as sufficiently pro-US, such as Cuba and Mexico.
They also commented on Keir Starmer’s “stammering” over his failure to condemn the attack. The Irish Neutrality League also condemned the “pathetic” statements of Kaja Kallas on the situation, and warned about increasing pressure on Ireland’s Triple Lock system of neutrality in the wake of influence from the UK, US and EU.
The protestors denounced the figurative “friendly neighbours” of the US Embassy, pointing to Irish financial institutions as complicit. Calls were made for the Irish government to listen to the appeals of the Irish people to take a “principled stand” against imperialism. An American protestor called for action by people in the West to “rip the heart out of these bastards in their own country”.
A minor police presence was maintained throughout the protest, but it remained peaceful and moderate. The protest dissipated roughly an hour after beginning at 2pm.
