On Saturday, April 15th, 2006, British and Irish relatives and friends of International Brigaders marked the 70th anniversary of the formation of the International Brigades with a commemorative walk, led by Pauline Fraser, across the Pyrenees from France into Spain.

The ceremonies commenced in the French Pyrenean village of Las Illas, at the monument to mark the passing through that village in 1939 of the President of the Spanish Republic, the President of the Basque Republic and the President of the Generalitat of Catalunya - fleeing for their lives as refugees from the triumph of fascism in Spain. (In 1940 the Nazi German occupation authorities and the collaborationist Vichy French Government would hand over President Companys of Catalunya for subsequent execution by Franco’s Spanish fascists in Barcelona).

This monument also commemorates the same village as one of the routes through which International Brigade volunteers clandestinely entered a blockaded Spanish Republic from 1936 to 1938; as well as the route taken in the reverse direction in 1939 by a significant proportion of more than half a million Spanish Republican refugees.

A group of twenty to thirty refugees (UPDATE: numbers are now known to be 41) occupied St. Patricks Cathedral after today’s Cathedral Service. At least three minors are believed to be among the group of men. The group are seeking refugee status in Ireland and decided to hungerstrike after some of their applications were turned down last Friday by the Office of the Refugee Appeals Commissioner. Geen Party TD, Ciarán Cuffe has met some of the men and believes them to be genuine.

According to Amnesty International’s 2005 Country Report armed groups in Afghanistan continue to commit abuses against civilians, aid workers, election officials and potential voters. Abduction and rape are reportedly common. The legal system lacks basic provisions for fair trials and executions have been reported. AmnestyUSA reports that some of this violence (including torture) is perpetrated by the US troops currently occupying the war-torn country.

The asylum seekers issued a statement to explain the reason for their drastic decision to go on hunger strike in St. Patricks Cathedral, it states very starkly and clearly the reason why they believe they should be allowed to stay:

We have been in Ireland for years and most of us have been suffering from mental and physical problems besides the mental and physical problems we had in Afghanistan. We want an answer from the Irish Government, Is it life in Ireland or death?

Latest Updates: more join, water refused, show support | church authorities appeal, hungerstrike continues | McDowell responds, Catholic Church quiet | Request quiet night, solidarity is welcomed | Day 3 vigil announced solidarity picket photos|

This year -- as more and more mothers, in America, Britain, Italy, Spain, Poland as well as Iraq, mourn their fallen sons and daughters, lost to the insanity of organized violence -- Julia Ward Howe's call for women to not allow their men to constantly play at war is back in fashion, part of a growing awareness of the link between patriarchy and war.

The anger was palpable at last weekend’s INO conference in Cavan as nurses from around the country took to the floor to speak out about the woeful state of the health service and to demand better conditions for themselves and their patients. As professionals working at the coalface of the health care service, nurses witness the effects of under-funding, bad management and creeping privatisation in terms of their own working conditions and the level of care they can provide to their patients every day. As the government pushes for privatisation of our health service with incentives for construction of private hospitals nurses witness the erosion of our public health services. Motions brought to the conference by union delegates highlighted the many concerns held by nurses. Motions addressing privatisation, pay, severe understaffing, inadequate support, lack of respect and censorship of nurses were all put to the floor
Read on for a report on the conference and an interview with an INO delegate...

Related Links:
Keep Our Hospitals Public Irish Nurses Organisation Mary Harney should resign - call from PB4P

Starting with the first Critical Mass of 2006, documented here by Noise Hacker with the usual high quality photography and running until Saturday's Mayday march in Belfast covered here by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin, Mayday in Ireland was spread from weekend to the next. The Dublin trade union march drew the by now standard criticisms on size and promotion and also was criticised for the decision to hold it in April for a change. The Sunday of the bank holiday saw an Anarchist Picnic and Anti-Authoritarian-Assembly in Dublin 's Phoenix park while the Monday saw the unmanageables picnic at the US Embassy.

Elsewhere, the annual call for the EuroMayDay was issued and the Indymedia.ie calendar saw events listed for Sligo and Cork. But much attention was focussed on the nation called America with the Indymedia Ireland newswire seeing reports from our LA correspondent on the massive protests in Los Angeles while regular contributor John Throne gave his report on the 400,000 in Chicago on May Day.