Marching for Zimbabwe (December 2008)

The following article was written as a report. It was requested by one of my teachers in the college in which I am doing my Journalism course. A few months ago I attended and blogged on a similar march, however unlike my earlier blog this was a different march entirely and is done more in the style of a report.



Assembly at the Central Bank plaza was scheduled to be at noon. Initially there were only a few present but after around half an hour of organising the few had grown to roughly 50 activists and supporters. We set off for Leinster House with the instructions that we were not to chant political songs.

This march was organised to express solidarity with Zimbabweans currently going through a humanitarian disaster. Cholera has been responsible for hundreds of deaths and inflation is now at over 230,000,000 per cent. Our MC for the demo was a six foot Zimbabwean by the name of Leonard and he wasted no time in praising the Gardai who were allowing us to tread on streets usually reserved for traffic.

The march started at Dame Street and went through Nassau Street before making its way up Kildare Street and paused outside the gates of Leinster House as photographers swarmed around taking shots. We’d be world famous, someone said. More like a small photo tucked away in the Evening Herald, another replied. The congregation then quietened and a number of public figures addressed us.

First to speak, to the shivering listeners, was a representative of Trocaire. He was angry and made no bones in telling us about the outrageous abductions going on in Zimbabwe at the moment. In particular Jestina Mukoko’s disappearance was condemned and we were informed that life expectancy for women was 34 years of age and 37 for men.

Seamus Dooley (NUJ General Secretary) then spoke to the crowd and he said his union would be in contact with counterparts abroad to try and maintain pressure to allow a free, independent media – something not allowed in Zimbabwe at the moment. Mr Dooley was scathing of the authorities in that country and he pointed out the importance, to a democratic nation, of having a free press.

Leonard (our MC), then introduced Deirdre De Burca (Green Party) to the throng. She also spoke about the abduction, on 3rd December last, of Jestina Mukoko and we became aware of the climate of fear and hatred in today’s Zimbabwe.

‘A nation that was once the bread basket of Africa and is now a basket case’ was a phrase used several times by speakers. Eoin Ryan MEP (Fianna Fáil) recalled that he had a Fruit and Vegetable business in Nassau Street about 20 years ago. His best produce for sale at the time originated in Zimbabwe but Mr Ryan said that if he was selling the same food today it would probably be the worst quality due to the decline in Zimbabwe’s economy. He said that the EU is trying to tackle the Mugabe junta and make life as difficult as possible for the southern African dictator. Mr Ryan was greeted by cheers.

Joe Costello TD (Labour) assured Zimbabweans, and those concerned, that Irish politicians fully backed efforts to challenge the human rights abuses which has led to the exodus of literally millions of Zimbabweans from their homeland. Senators David Norris and Feargal Quinn were both outside Leinster House to lend their support.

Despite the cold weather, people were determined to holler their approval. ‘Thank you Ireland’ could be heard and after a few brief prayers we were implored to lobby our politicians and others of influence in Irish society. Action was needed to stem the Zimbabwean humanitarian crisis currently gripping the country. Many people only ate every three days and some were even forced to eat food made from cow dung to fill them, not something us Irish will have to endure.

Kildare Street, today, was bitterly cold but we should be all be thankful for our rights. Unfortunately not everyone is afforded the luxury of protest and the freedoms enjoyed by those demonstrating in Dublin today sadly do not extend to the streets of Harare.

After approximately two hours the crowd dispersed but with a renewed vigour in the continuing fight for justice in Zimbabwe.