Protesters Assert Irish Police Were ‘Unwittingly’ Used by Chinese Regime During Premier Visit
The Irish Falun Dafa Association claimed that peaceful demonstrators were surrounded by officers and given conflicting instructions on whether protests were allowed during Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Dublin this week. The group accused the Irish police officers, or the Gardaí, of being “unwittingly” used by the Chinese communist regime. The demonstrators alleged that they were obscured from sight by police officers while pro-Beijing crowds were allowed to shout and wave flags near the delegate during the state visit.
The Irish Falun Dafa Association stated that CCP supporters were facilitated by the police at multiple locations including on busy parts of the road and near the hotel. They also reported that they were told that their peaceful demonstrations were not allowed and that they were ordered to move to a designated area away from the hotel.
In a press release, the IFA suggested that the policing of its demonstrations has been disproportionate and that they were followed by suspected CCP agents. They accused the Gardaí of being, “unwittingly, and as we discovered many times during that evening, unwillingly, used, and seemingly influenced to assist the Chinese Communist Regime.” Meanwhile, the European Parliament condemned the CCP’s ongoing persecution of Falun Gong and called for an international investigation.
Additionally, almost two-thirds of Ireland’s exports to China in 2022 were microchips, including those by U.S. chipmaker Intel. During Mr. Li’s visit, the premier reopened beef imported from Ireland and introduced 15-day visa-free travel for Irish citizens.
Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said the regime is hoping Ireland can play a role in developing Beijing’s relationship with Europe, and claimed that Ireland abides by the so-called One China principle. Mr. Varadkar later clarified that Ireland is still following the One China policy, which means recognizing Beijing as the only Chinese authority and not having official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
