No Difference Between Us – Save8Rally in Dublin – Blog


“Theres no difference between us” said a Protestant from Donegal, who while chatting to a man next to me confessed the only other political demonstration he was at in his life was the local annual Orange Walk. The Irish anthem had just played, and he respected it as if it was his own.

He went on to discuss how the Catholic Church lost its moral authority in the wake of the abuse scandals, and a lot of folk who woud vote for repeal would do so to get a kick at the church.

“But the issue is too important” he went on to say, saying he felt awkward being in another juristiction telling them how to run their country. He said up North its recknoned there would be an annual rate of 100000 dead from abortion as opposed to the 13000 there is. Whether that is annually or since a particular year I could not grab, being an eavesdropper in the conversation, which I was delighted to hear, especially his words at the end “There is no difference between us”…

The Left on the March

As a self proclaimed Pro Life Left Wing activist of sorts, I find my kind were thin on the ground, an great was my surprise to see a starry plough and a Che Guevara flag on my right as the march passed the Rotunda.

After turnng onto the Quays, I met Carol Nolan and Peadar Toibin the Sinn Féin rebels on the abortion issue. I had a quick chat with them about the issues around the 8th as I see them, and where there is issues, such as where medical tratment needed was denied citing the 8th was wrong, as the wording states “where practical”, and in Savita’s it was not practical, and in the other case I spoke of the child was already dead, and citing the 8th the staff STILL had refused to induce it or take it out by caeserian.

Thats medical negligance in both cases, and while most nurses work very hard to be good to mothers, there are a few who are an utter disgrace, as in both of these cases.

Its to my increased disappointment that the card circuating online that the 8th was never used to refuse needed medical treatment such as these has not been withrawn, indeed my email citing the case I outline here was not even acknowledgd.

Again, the “where pratical” wording coveres both issues.

So, whats a man doing talking on womens issues?

It wasnt just men on the march, it wasnt just the old, though they were both present. The amount of youth, and females, enthuasuastic on the issue and chanting slogans rise the spirits of what was initially a very sombre march, as fits the issue of which we speak.

The rally went down O’Connell Street, left at the Quays, and then right over the Liffey – and was a size and lenght I had not seen since the Water Protests. Two Italians with a placard saying “Italy Is With You” met cheers, as did a Jewish man who had placards at the front of his house supporting the march.

What About the “Other Crowd”?

The other crew were there all right, stoney faced and cruel looking for all their trendy piercings and coloured hair. Their poster with a abusive language showed the carachter of them, or lack thereof. But there was only a couple of dozen odd or so.

There was a lot of Phillipino people on the march, a few Chinese, more Africans and on listening to people as I walked along I got a good cross section of the crowd.

They had left farms, and businesses. They had left sick relatives, and workplaces, and were far from the “lazy fucks” the placard of the counter protesters accused us of being. They were the salt of the earth, the people who make Ireland, many of them especially from Donegal and Cork who were also in the Water Protests.

So… no Jesus freaks?

The Jesus Mary and Joseph brigade were there, having organised a lot of the busses, but the march was not ran by them, but they gave their flavour to their section, and formed the rearguard, which took over an hour to finish in Merrion Square.

As the speeches started, having my bit done, I toddled off to get a bite to eat, intending to make the marches in Athlone and Galway in April.

So which way will it go?

The silent majority, audible in the eerie silence at the start of the march, will win the day. Their determination will ensure they vote, and in numbers. Youth as well as old, women as well as men. I expect that the 8th will carry the day, but would not be surprised if the EU force us to hold the vote again!

I got a few shots to be uploaded later on as my phone went flat, during what was a very heartening march where the people of Ireland showed that they will not be fobbed off.

The Pro Life Humanists were there, their home mad banner made from a sheet and marker inviting all to vist their website. The church crew singing “Hail Glorius St. Patrick”, apt for the season that in it. The Sinn Fein Rebels, the ordinary people, the Orangman and his freinds… all were there, proving on issues of common importance, “there is no difference between us”…

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