A PROTEST AGAINST Donald Trump’s visit to Ireland this week aims to show the US president he’s not welcome, and the Irish government that they were wrong to “encourage” him.

He’s due to visit Dublin on Saturday, where official state meet-and-greets will take place, before heading to his golf course in Co Clare for the Irish Open.

A protest is organised by the Irish Neutrality League, which is made up of several left-leaning opposition parties, as well as advocacy groups such as the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett hopes for “tens of thousands” of participants in Saturday’s protest, to oppose Trump’s “toxic and dangerous agenda” and show him he’s not welcome.

He said it’s “disgraceful” that the government “encouraged” him to come.

“It shows just how subservient and complicit with his agenda really they are. But it doesn’t represent the will of the majority of people,” he said.

A poll by Ireland Thinks and the Sunday Independent showed 69% of those surveyed didn’t welcome the visit.

It is anticipated that Donald Trump will arrive in Air Force One on Saturday morning before visiting President Catherine Connolly and meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

He will also have a get-together with his friend, Ambassador to Ireland, Ed Walsh and a number of guests at an event in the US ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park.

Trump will then travel to Doonbeg, Co Clare, where the Irish Open is taking place this year. 

Blamed for fuel crisis

Patricia Stephenson, a Social Democrats senator, said Trump “has brought the fuel crisis down upon every single household in this country” through his involvement in wars.

The coalition has also taken issue with Trump’s support of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which Stephenson said is “tearing to shreds the whole concept of peacemaking”.

“He is carving up Gaza as if it’s some sort of like modern-day real estate deal from his time on the telly,” she said.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said the Irish government’s welcoming of Trump is “extremely dangerous”, as it is “dipping our toes into the water where we could easily be swept away by the great powers”.

He said Trump is visiting for “selfish interests”.

‘Money-making photo opportunity’

The Irish Open should not be held in Doonbeg, but rather on another golf course, according to Ciarán Ahern of the Labour Party.

“This is nothing more than a money-making photo opportunity to normalise the US president, to appease him. And that is absolutely disgusting,” he said.

Asked whether he hopes Connolly will bring up Ireland’s grievances with Trump, Ahern said he expects she’ll give him a dignified welcome, but will also “speak her mind”.

The protest will begin at 1pm on Saturday at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square. Participants will then march through town and finish at Molesworth Street.

Sara O’Rourke, a PhD researcher and one of the organisers, said the details had been up in the air until now because of gardaí “not wanting us to march at all”, and instead remain at the Garden of Remembrance.

The major security operation that is the visit already demanded significant deployment of gardaí.