Ballina must be wary of ‘peaceful’ protests

It is more than a little sad to see the protest taking place in Ballina around the Twin Trees Hotel, formerly the Downhill. The protestors are making clear, time and again, it is a peaceful protest. The decent people of Ballina would not have it otherwise but it is an unfortunate fact of life in this little island of ours that those who would wish for a civilised and peaceful resolution do not have full control when the issue is one of providing accommodation for International Protection Applicants (IPAs). So now we are full. There’s no room at the inn. Whatever happened to Ireland of the Welcomes?

We have seen recently, not for the first time, how a house in Leixlip was torched after it was linked to the possible housing of IPAs. The house in question was not earmarked for asylum seekers but that did not prevent the word going abroad and, of course, there are people (on the far right? Far left? Centre?) who just seek the opportunity to take the law into their own hands and deal effectively with the problem? No property will house asylum seekers if it is burned to the ground.

Just a few days prior to the Leixlip incident, there was what is now becoming a familiar story with an “unexplained” fire that resulted in the destruction of a vacant property in Brittas. Just as in Leixlip, the Brittas property had been subject to weeks of misinformation and disinformation concerning the housing of refugees.

Very often the disinformation includes reference to the unvetted men, who are not white and are of military age, which is simply a weasel wording for young, black men who can’t be trusted. It is clear and unvarnished racism. We are led to believe that the disinformation is being spread by a small group of people with a racist agenda. It seems to me, it is not as simple as that. There are far too many incidents of property destruction and arson to be simply the work of a few. The “few” who might light the torch have far more local support than we, as citizens, are prepared to acknowledge.

I’m old enough to remember the Downhill when it was in its pomp. It was a fine hotel run by fine people and I recall many a great night of good food, good entertainment, good drink, and pretty awful attempts at dancing. The Moylett family were great people who developed a top-class hotel and brought Ballina to the fore as a holiday destination.

In particular, I recall wonderful occasions when Mrs Rita Devere regally and with great grace hosted and welcomed Western People staff, their friends, and the Mayo Sports Star award winners to their annual function. Those were nights to remember thanks to the Moylett family, the facilities they provided and the hotel they invested in. They stood up for progress.

The Minister for Justice has expressed herself as appalled by these arson attacks. I’m sorry but “appalled” does not cut the mustard. Helen McEntee and the Garda Commissioner need to get their act together and provide whatever resources are required to put an end to this campaign of arson and property destruction. Does the Twin Trees have to go up in smoke before action is taken?

I have to admit that I’m not as familiar with the Twin Trees as I was with the Downhill. Times change and people move on. But, it seems to me that the management of the Twin Trees has taken a courageous step in seeking to bring some semblance of balance to the ongoing “peaceful” protest. I use the inverted commas around peaceful deliberately. Peaceful protests are peaceful until such time as some individual or group of individuals decide otherwise.

It takes very little to turn a peaceful protest into confrontation. I’m not suggesting that those good and concerned citizens of Ballina who are protesting are preparing for confrontation, but can they keep control of the situation? Can they ensure that bad actors, local bad actors as well as imported ones, do not undermine their determination to stay peaceful and within the law? There are no guarantees.

It might have escaped me but the initiative by Twin Trees management in setting out their stall and making their case in a clear, open and honest manner is the first time this has happened here. In the many controversies around the country property owners have steered clear of involvement and of providing their side of the story. Twin Trees have taken a different approach.

As owners of the hotel, they have made the case for an operation that sees the hotel and its facilities available to the local community, they have made it clear that accommodation will continue to be made available to visitors to the town and that the housing of refugees can be facilitated. Interestingly, they suggest that far from limiting tourist numbers, the hotel will have rooms in excess of the numbers they have been able to take in recent years. It would seem that tourist footfall in Ballina is not as healthy as many would wish.

I own a small bit of property myself. A house and a turf shed (eat your heart out Eamonn Ryan!) and a bit of a garden. I would not take it kindly if a bunch of protestors parked outside the house with placards and tents to tell me what I can or cannot do with my property. I wonder what gives protestors the right to tell the owners of the Twin Trees or any other hotel for that matter what they can or cannot do with their property.

There is, of course, the usual trope used by the protestors regarding the lack of consultation and the demands that would be placed on educational and medical services if these refugees arrive. The reality is that consultation is just a device to firstly delay and then kill the projected arrival of the unwanted. The further reality is that if the Twin Trees could attract an extra 200 tourists to the town you would not hear any complaints about the available services.

It is a good time to be involved in protest activity. There are local and European elections coming up. Candidates in those elections, with the odd exception, are not going to take a stand that might work against them in terms of securing votes. The protest in Ballina has been peaceful and, hopefully, it will continue to be, but if an election candidate was to address a meeting and suggest that he/she was in favour of allowing the refugees to be accommodated, I wonder what the reaction would be. I don’t think such an election candidate would be overwhelmed with promises of number ones.

Perhaps Minister O’Gorman, who has responsibility for ensuring that Ireland lives up to its obligations to accept and accommodate International Protection applicants, might consider a moratorium on the placement of refugees until the elections are over. It would be an ease to candidates who have enough problems without having to contend with protestors, even well-intentioned protestors.

And, dear reader, just in case you think me a naive and a gullible old fool, I am well aware and have personal experience of coming across a refugee who was a clever con artist whose application for asylum should never have been entertained. There are genuine applicants and then there are chancers.

Thought for the day 

Old Spanish proverb: An egg without salt is like a kiss without a moustache.