Protests are set to take place in Ireland when President Donald Trump attends the Irish Open at his golf course in Doonbeg, County Clare, next month. Local groups, including the Irish Neutrality League, which advocates for Irish neutrality in international conflicts, and The Irish Anti-War Movement, have expressed their intention to take part in demonstrations. Irish Labour Senator Nessa Cosgrove has referred to the visit taking place from Sept. 12 to 13 as a “security nightmare” and said she hopes the U.S.
President “takes time to learn why people might be exercised" about the trip. President is a serious responsibility, and An Garda Síochána [Ireland's police force] must have the resources necessary to do that safely.” “We should also be very clear that people have every right to peacefully protest President Trump’s visit. We expect there will be significant protests and many Labour Party members and elected representatives will be joining them,” she tells TIME.
"Many people in Ireland have profound and legitimate objections to his Administration’s actions and policies, to put it mildly, and they have every right to make those views heard." An Garda Síochána told TIME the force does not comment or speculate on operational matters. Amid much discussion over the trip and the expected protests, here’s what we know so far. Planning is already underway for various protests, with one of the most significant demonstrations set to take place in Ireland's capital, Dublin.
The protest is scheduled to start on Sept. 12 at the Garden of Remembrance, a public memorial to those who "gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom." Sara O’Rourke of the Irish Neutrality League told the Irish Times that the “protest will be under the banner of no welcome for Trump.” Protest organizers said they expect a “big” but “safe event,” which they described as a “family-friendly, peaceful protest.” Paul Murphy of the People Before Profit-Solidarity party said he is expecting a “massive protest” which will have “a broad coalition with a basic theme of no welcome for Trump.” Another demonstration is planned for Shannon in the west of Ireland. (Trump arrived at Shannon Airport during his presidential visit to Ireland in 2019.) Shannon Airport is used by the U.S. military as a transit, refueling, and logistical hub. An additional protest is also expected to unfold nearby Trump’s golf course in Doonbeg, which is around 60km from Shannon. A social media post from organizers involved in the planned protests raised issue with some of the Trump Administration’s actions, including the President’s repeated threats to annex Greenland.
Trump's visit has also drawn backlash from some Irish lawmakers. Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, a Labour Party lawmaker and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Dublin, released a video on Aug. 3, in which he stated: “Donald Trump is not welcome in Dublin.” The lawmaker referenced the war in Iran and the U.S.' fractured relationship with the European Union as being among his reasons for opposing the trip. Ó Ríordáin tells TIME the idea that Ireland would “roll out the red carpet and treat [Trump] with the sort of celebrity and respect that we have done to others in the past, to my mind, makes absolutely no sense.” “I do believe there's a groundswell of people who don't want this visit, who don't want him here, who would rather he wasn't coming,” he says of the planned protests.
The Trump “baby blimp,” which had previously featured in anti-Trump protests in London, also made a notable appearance. Trump is set to visit Ireland from Sept. 12 to 13, a White House official told TIME. Although that would mean missing the first two days of the Irish Open, it allows the President to remain in the U.S. for the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
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