On Saturday 25 June members and comrades of the CPI joined a protest organised by the Connolly Youth Movement on Rosie Hackett Bridge to protest against the take-over of pride by companies that solely see us as a means to profit, by people who have historically oppressed LGBT minorities and continue to do so and against those who actively seek to divide us. The loud protest was aptly summarised by “No banks, no pigs, no TERFs.”
A member of the CYM talked about how queer people are regularly harassed by Gardaí, including on the day itself on their way to the protest. A member of the CPI discussed how companies such as AirBnB and Paypal proudly march in the pride parade while profiting off a housing crisis that disproportionately affects queer people and on the dawn of pride moved 300+ jobs abroad to lower wages.
Later in the day the message spread that a different protest, Radical Pride for Housing, was harassed by Gardaí, with at least three people arrested. This led to a picket and march from Pearse Street Garda Station to Irishtown Garda Station by a broad contingent of the Dublin left.
The inclusion of An Garda Síochána in the main Pride parade is a slap in the face to the queer people who they harassed on the same day, and every other day. The events of the day have once again shown that the Gardaí are not an ally of the queer community, and that pride is still very much a protest.
