Young socialists in anti-EU protest
By John Breslin in Brussels

A GROUP of young socialists from Ireland — four of them schoolgirls — were at the heart of a demonstration in Brussels yesterday to coincide with the EU leaders’ summit in the Belgian capital.
The crew of about 30 travelled for nearly 24 hours by bus and boat to be in Brussels to march in temperatures of minus three degrees with 60,000 others from across the continent.

Susan Fitzgerald, a quick-witted Dubliner, was one of the two main organisers of the trip.

Ms Fitzgerald, along with party member Matt Wayne, explained to the group at Holyhead how they could bring nail files, penknives, and illegal drugs no further, “even if you feel they are for medicinal purposes”.

Gas masks, which a couple of the party had brought along, were also out.

It was advised that in the event of being caught in a tear gas cloud, to smear vaseline over the bridge or the nose and under the eyes.

The Irish group are members of Socialist Youth which is an offshoot of the Socialist Party.

The Socialist Youth is part of the Committee for Workers International, a worldwide body which has only one nationally elected representative in the whole of Europe.

“The criminal bombing of Afghanistan has used as much resources as would completely wipe out the scourge of HIV and AIDS,” said TD Joe Higgins yesterday. The combative TD was hammering home the anti-war message yesterday.

At yesterday’s protest the Irish group was not involved in yesterday’s violence where 30 individuals smashed windows of banks, cars and police stations.

They were kept back by the police and given a severe dousing with a water cannon.

While most of the protesters were against the Afghan war there were many veterans of past anti-globalisation protests. Also demonstrating were Kurds, trade unionists, eco-warriors, socialists, anarchists and communists.