Bertie faces “Blood on your hands” graffiti

GARDAÍ are investigating a graffiti attack on the Taoiseach’s constituency office in which the words “Blood on your hands” were daubed.

A bloody hand containing the words was painted onto Bertie Ahern’s office in Drumcondra late on Wednesday night or early on Thursday morning.

Anti-war activists, members of the Grassroots Network Against War, were involved in the incident.

A garda spokesman confirmed that officers at Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station were investigating the matter.

The graffiti was one of a number of uncoordinated actions taken by members of the network in Dublin and other parts of the country.

“The network is not centralised. It is made up of existing groups who do their own things. People are just outraged and sickened at what’s going on so they are doing everything they can,” said one member of GNAW.

GNAW activists also staged a protest outside a petrol station, called Top Oil, on Amiens Street, in the north inner city, claiming the company supplied oil to US military planes. They also placed a large billboard at Railway Bridge on Amiens Street, saying Stop US Terror, with an image of a map of Ireland in US colours.

Protests were also held outside the Dáil for most of the day, followed by a large demonstration outside the US Embassy.

Meanwhile, concerns were expressed yesterday by the Government’s racism advisory body of renewed attacks on Muslims in Ireland following a war with Iraq.

The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) said there had been a number of assaults on Muslims in the aftermath of the September 11 atrocities.

The comments come on the eve of International Day Against Racism.

“International Day Against Racism is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the prevalence of racism in Ireland and to look at ways to address it,” said NCCRI acting director Kensika Monshengwo.

“Islamaphobia is one type of racism that manifested itself very clearly after September 11 and the NCCRI is very concerned that there will be a repeat of any racist incidents.”

More than 100 events are taking place across the country tomorrow. Details can be got from the NCCRI offices at 01-4785777.

The Islamic Cultural Centre will be holding a protest against the war in Iraq today at their centre in Clonskeagh, Dublin at 2pm.