Cork Pride takes back City Library
Cork Pride ended last weekend. And it ended outside Cork City Library which was closed recently after anti-LGBT+ protests. The closing event for Cork Pride 2023 featured a giant rainbow flag and colourful, happy crowds outside Cork City Library. It’s estimated that between 10,000 to 12,000 people attended this joyful event to celebrate LGBT+ pride and to stand united against hate. Other events over the festival included a tag rugby tournament, a family fun event in FitzGerald’s Park, a Pride run, a service of remembrance, a picnic, comedy cabaret, club nights, film screenings, a tour of Cork event and lots of drag events too. The theme this year was ‘30 years on’, marking the 30 year anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Irish law in 1993.
As DJ and radio presenter Stevie G, who performed at the parade said on social media: “We took the library back from the bigots & made it a safe space for celebration. Cork is a city of welcomes. Big love to everyone & solidarity with the staff who are dealing with these cowards in what should be a building of sanctuary.”
On 2 September Cork City Library is set to see another protest organised by the group Cork Says No, which is associated with the far-right political party Ireland First. Cork City Library seems to have been at the centre of protests in recent months. On occasions, small groups have entered the premises, recorded staff and subjected them to intimidation and verbal abuse.
During the most recent protest on 29 July, a decision was made to close the library. Protestors draped a banner without permission at the entrance of the library, which read: ‘There are only two genders: male and female’. The protest was said to be about on the presence of LGBTQ+ reading materials for children at the library which they oppose.
These staff have badly let down by the gardaí who have simply stood by as library have been abused and intimated by these people, who are using tactics imported from the far-right in the US.
This week the gardaí told the Cork Independent the same thing they have previously said about these protests. An Garda Síochána said they respect the right for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights to the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, subject to statutory provisions.
“Where necessary, An Garda Síochána put in place appropriate and proportionate policing plans to monitor public gatherings.”
The trade union Fórsa wants Cork City Council to do more to ensure the safety and protection of library staff during potential future protests from the agitators.
Closing libraries should never be the answer.