Mayo man living in LA says Dublin riots were ‘much bigger' than California protests
A Mayo man living in Los Angeles has said the Dublin riots were 'much bigger' than the recent demonstrations against the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
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Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Mass protests set to rain on Trump's $25m birthday parade as tensions escalate across US
©Washington Post Today at 21:30 In the hours before tanks barrel down the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump's grand military parade today, thousands of Americans will gather across the country in defiance of what they call his dangerous brand of authoritarianism. The organised day of protests in over 2,000 cities – dubbed 'No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance' – comes after a week of unrest and anger in Los Angeles and other cities following immigration raids in the LA area and the Trump administration's move to federalise the National Guard and dispatch Marines to California. No Kings organiser Ezra Levin said that interest has 'sky-rocketed' since those protests began – with individuals in 200 more cities signing up to host No Kings events just this week. He said more people are now expected to turn out than the estimated 3.5 million who participated in a similar nationwide day of action in April. 'We're no longer talking to folks who are just paying attention to politics,' said Levin, the co-founder of the liberal advocacy group Indivisible. 'People are seeing this over-reach by Trump and saying, 'I don't like that – what can I do?'' It is never clear which issue will animate people or motivate them to get out there, but I think the ICE raids have done that. It's going beyond campaign rhetoric Images of immigrants being swept up at moments in their daily lives – at car washes and Home Depots, to name just two places – seem to have struck a chord with a wider swath of the public than was previously engaged, observers say, though the concept of deporting those in the country illegally still has broad support. 'It is never clear which issue will animate people or motivate them to get out there, but I think the ICE raids have done that,' said Timothy Zick, a professor at William and Mary Law School and an expert in protest law. 'It's going beyond campaign rhetoric. Now they're going to schools and courthouses and businesses.' Despite the demonstrations in several cities at times turning violent with hundreds of arrests, sporadic – looting and vehicles set afire – No Kings organisers are planning on peaceful events today. Levin said they have added more training for participants, which includes 'de-escalation' tactics and volunteer marshals in the crowds to focus on safety. Organisers deliberately chose not to hold an event in Washington because of the military celebration, although other groups have planned demonstrations in the capital today. Law enforcement officials around the country are bracing for arrests, and Trump himself warned from the Oval Office this week that people who 'want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force.' ADVERTISEMENT Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has already deployed 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and 2,000 state troopers in advance of protests around the state today, without consulting mayors or other local leaders. No Kings organisers in New York expect between 50,000 and 100,000 people marching down Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Madison Square Park, a one-mile trek through the heart of Midtown Manhattan. I understand that some New Yorkers may be angry, afraid and ready to express that. New York City will always be a place to peacefully protest, but we will not allow violence and lawlessness At a news conference on Monday, Mayor Eric Adams promised that the police would protect the right to protest as long as there was no unrest. 'I understand that some New Yorkers may be angry, afraid and ready to express that,' he said. 'New York City will always be a place to peacefully protest, but we will not allow violence and lawlessness.' President Trump's celebration – technically in honour of the army's 250th birthday, though the date also falls on his 79th – will feature fireworks, tanks, musical performances and the Golden Knights parachute team. It's all expected to cost $25m (€21.7m) to $45m, military officials have said. In Los Angeles, No Kings organisers anticipate about 70,000 to gather by City Hall in the city's downtown – a small portion of which has been under an overnight curfew that began Tuesday. Hunter Dunn, a spokesperson for the rally, said recent developments only reinforce its central message: that the president is abusing his power. 'I think we've seen exactly what happens when a self-styled king is in charge of the federal government's law enforcement branches,' Dunn said. LA organisers added new demands there: the withdrawal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the National Guard, and the dismissal of charges against labour leader David Huerta, who was arrested during a protest last week. In Atlanta, the rally at the Georgia Capitol is expected to draw more than 5,000 people, including area residents affected by the Trump administration's cutbacks to the federal government. Among those are layoffs at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which is based in Atlanta. Even in a city with deep ties to the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, whose legacy inspired a local commitment to justice and social activism, Atlanta organisers have contended with post-election exhaustion in recent months, dampening turnout at several recent anti-Trump protests. 'And I understand … I've been exhausted too,' said Laura Jones, a long-time activist and event sponsor. Yet Jones said interest in today's gathering had dramatically picked up in recent days. Sign-ups surpassed 5,000 people – the capacity for the public plaza where the rally is scheduled – and organisers were working with local law enforcement to potentially close nearby roads to ensure the safety of a larger crowd.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
The Irish Independent's View: Israeli strikes on Iran spawn another dark chapter for war-torn Middle East
A full-scale attack on Tehran, which is committed to the destruction of the state of Israel, is the last thing the war-weary region wanted, except perhaps in Tel Aviv. Many already felt Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was playing with fire beside a powder keg. This latest twist can only add nitroglycerin into the mix, drawing ever nearer to a dreaded wider conflagration. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a 'crushing response' to what was a devastating blow, not just to Iran's nuclear capabilities, but to its military elite in the Revolutionary Guard. The 200 Israeli warplane blitz was 'just the beginning', with an Israeli official claiming strikes could continue for weeks. The attack puts the finish to whatever chance there was of US president Donald Trump's bid to end the Iranian nuclear stand-off diplomatically. Military analysts believe all bets are now off in terms of containing the situation. President Trump has told Iran there 'could be nothing left' if agreement is not reached, but Tehran, and the country's 90 million people, may be in no mood to heed calls for moderation. The strike followed an International Atomic Energy Agency declaration that Iran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. There are no limits left. The hand of divine vengeance will grip the brutal terrorist regime and its supporters Ayatollah Khamenei has warned Israel of 'severe punishment'. What that looks like remains to be seen. But there is no question that Mr Netanyahu has plunged his country – along with the US, its staunchest ally – into a dangerous new sphere of conflict. ADVERTISEMENT The attack also threatens to draw other Gulf states into a military quagmire. One of Mr Trump's many bold pledges on taking office was to bring peace to the Middle East. Critics say his indulgence, or apparent indifference towards Mr Netanyahu's excesses, emboldened the Israeli prime minister to go to new extremes. Either way, most would agree Mr Netanyahu has now gone for broke in attacking Iran. Whether his aim is to overthrow the theocratic regime, or to blunt its nuclear capability, is unclear. But neither could be achieved in a single raid, however effective. He will need US support if he is to fight the war he has started. He has created a make-or-break moment, not just for Israel, but for Mr Trump and his commitment to the American people to avoid US troops getting sucked into foreign wars. Responding to the raid, Ali Larijani – an aide to Iran's supreme leader – said: 'There are no limits left. The hand of divine vengeance will grip the brutal terrorist regime and its supporters.' Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said it was 'crucial' Nato allies work to de-escalate the situation. However, the fear is that Mr Netanyahu's actions have already opened another dark front, bringing more suffering and bloodshed to a region replete with both.
Irish Daily Star
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Star
Israel destroys one of Iran's main plants for producing uranium in devastating blow
Israel claims to have destroyed the facility where Iran was producing enriched uranium in its quest to create nuclear weapons . In a statement on X on Friday evening , the Israeli Defense Forces said they targeted the nuclear site in the Isfahan region, which is believed to be the location where Iran was attempting to produce the weapons. "At this moment, Air Force fighter jets have completed an attack on the Iranian regime's nuclear site in the Isfahan area, under precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Branch. The site is undergoing a process of 'reconversion' of enriched uranium," the IDF wrote at 8:39 p.m. local time. Read More Related Articles Melania 'says what we're all thinking' in awkward red carpet display with Trump Read More Related Articles Experts track three tropical waves as fears of extreme weather grow "This is the next stage after uranium enrichment in the process of producing nuclear weapons," the IDF wrote. "The attack destroyed a structure for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for converting enriched uranium, laboratories, and other infrastructure." Israel described the ferocious attack at the "heart" of Iran's nuclear program as just the beginning as it vowed to eradicate the program once and for all as well as launch a more full-scale war with its main Middle Eastern rival. The assault, which occurred overnight on Thursday, is the most severe attack Iran has endured since the 1980s, when it was in conflict with Iraq. Iran retaliated on Friday evening by sending missiles flying into Israel (Image: AP) Iran swiftly unleashed a barrage of drones toward Israel in retaliation, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowing "severe punishment." The counterstrike came after a reprimand from the U.N.'s atomic watchdog the day prior, which criticized Iran for failing to adhere to agreements designed to block its path toward developing nuclear weapons. Israel hinted about the possibility of such an attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure for years and finally carried it out this week. The U.S. attempted to enter it, concerned that it might spark what it now has — a broader conflict in the Middle East that might not result in the effective dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program. The initial Israeli strikes struck several locations, including the one in Isfahan and the main one in Natanz, where plumes of black smoke were observed. Later in the day, Israel announced it had taken out several radar installations for surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the operation had "significantly damaged" the facility in Natanz, but added that the mission was "still in the beginning." Iran's top military leaders Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh were all killed in the strikes. The first of them oversaw all the armed forces. The second was the leader of the parliamentary Revolutionary Guard. And the third directed the Guard's ballistic missile program. Protests against the strikes from Israel croped up in several other Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq (Image: AP) Taking to his Truth Social account early Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump penned a scathing message about the deal with Iran as he warned the country that everyone in it would be "dead" if leaders don't come to the table to finish the nuclear deal — which would prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons. "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to 'just do it,' but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done," Trump wrote. He also claimed he warned Iran that an Israeli attack might be imminent and how much damage one would cause, should one occur. "I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come - And they know how to use it," the president wrote. Trump added that "certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely" but ultimately "didn't know what was about to happen." He used their alleged subsequent deaths to bolster his warning message to the Middle Eastern state. "They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!" he wrote. "There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!" In another post on Friday morning, Trump pressured Iran to get the nuclear deal done, noting the 60-day ultimatum he gave the country to reach an agreement — a timeframe that passed. He said they "perhaps" have a second chance now, however.
