Update from 13.00:
Social media user reports and photos show a very large counter protest in solidarity with workers and LGBTQIA+ lives against the anti-worker transphobic far right. Roughly 500 attendees backed the workers wildly outnumbering the 20 far-right anti-worker activists. See Fórsa Cork Twitter for updates.
(Photo above credited to @EoinEnglish from a twitter video still.)
For the past number of months, staff working in the Cork City Library have been harassed by members of the far-right group Ireland First. This harassment occurs on an almost weekly basis. The far right is targeting LGBTQ+ books, in particular, “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson. This is part of a global campaign by the far right against LGBTQ+ literature. Their aim is to roll back the advances made in the past decade.
Library staff are subjected to bullying and harassment, cameras are shoved in their faces and they are accused of promoting paedophilia. Unfortunately, management in City Hall have done absolutely nothing to support and protect their staff. Equally the Gardaí have allowed the harassment to continue.
Today the staff’s union Forsa have organised a rally in support of their members working in the library. It will begin at 12.30 outside the City Library and then march to the City Hall. The union is demanding a safe environment for its members, free from harassment.
To date management hasn’t replied to a letter from the union, sent over two weeks ago. If management refuses to act, the union will have to escalate the matter industrially by having staff withdraw from the public counter when the right-wing bigots enter the library. People Before Profit fully supports the library staff and urges all supporters to join today’s rally.
Pictures below from Cork’s People Before Profit Branch
