People Before Profit is to boycott a historic speech by US president Joe Biden to the Dáil this week over objections to his foreign policy.
The party’s four TDs – Richard Boyd Barrett, Brid Smith, Gino Kenny and Paul Murphy – will stage a protest against the visit.
People Before Profit said the move was due to Mr Biden’s record on Palestine, Iraq, and Nato expansion – as well as the “absence of opportunity for Dáil parties to ask questions”.
It will hold a protest outside the GPO in Dublin on Wednesday.
Mr Boyd Barrett said: “Joe Biden needs to be forcefully challenged over his long-standing and unconditional support for the apartheid regime in Israel and its brutal and criminal treatment of Palestinians; his pivotal role in promoting the US invasion and occupation of Iraq; his active promotion of Nato expansion and the ongoing and blatant double-standards of US foreign policy globally.”
People Before Profit said it would attend the special Dáil sitting if there were an opportunity for all Dail parties and groupings to make statements or ask questions after the president’s speech, but with that opportunity not being offered, the event was a “pointless charade and propaganda exercise for the US president”.
The party said: “The Irish government are allowing President Biden to use the Dáil as a political soapbox and as part of their ongoing campaign to further undermine Ireland’s neutrality and draw Ireland closer to Nato and US foreign policy.”
Mr Boyd Barrett added: “The Irish Government are trying to present Joe Biden as some sort of great peacemaker when he is very much the opposite.”
He said: “Tragically, the Irish Government are also using the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity to further undermine Irish neutrality and there is no doubt the decision to roll out the red carpet for Biden and insulate him from any critical questioning in the Dáil is part of that campaign to draw us ever closer to Nato.
“Given the Government’s plan to shield Joe Biden from any criticism or questioning in the Dáil, we urge those who wish to protect Ireland’s neutrality, who oppose war and militarism, and who want to see justice and self-determination for oppressed people’s such as the Palestinians, to join the protest against Biden’s policies on April 12th at 5pm at the GPO.”
