COMMUNISTS SAY SHOW ‘GLORIFIES WAR MACHINERY’
THE LEINSTER council of the Connolly Youth Movement has said that the Bray Air Display will glorify war machinery.
‘We are shocked and dismayed that Wicklow County Council has committed to fund such a display, and ask our elected representatives to reconsider,’ they said in a statement.
‘Ireland has a long and proud tradition of neutrality and the hosting of NATO war planes in such an open and public manner... seriously compromises this tradition,’ they said.
In particular, the group mentioned the planned appearance by the Red Arrows, whose website said that the purpose of the air shows is ‘ to carry out defence diplomacy overseas’, and ‘ to aid recruitment into the armed forces’.
‘As a country which has known the worst ravages of imperial war, it is particularly inappropriate that a County Council would support and endorse what amounts to an open glorification of war,’ said the group. ‘Further we believe such an endorsement qualifies the creeping normalisation of militarism in our culture to the children who will witness the display.’
The Connolly Youth Movement is affiliated to the Communist Party of Ireland.
A spokesperson for Bray Air Display said that the event is an award winning celebration of Ireland’s rich legacy in aviation and engineering excellence.
‘It is a free, family friendly, annual event organised by a group of professionals within the local community that aims to highlight Ireland’s position as a global, innovative aviation hub – home to early pioneers of transatlantic flight, the world’s first duty-free, and the birthplace of the aircraft leasing industry, while driving tourism to County Wicklow and Bray, specifically,’ they said. ‘ This year will be the 13th Bray Air Display which seeks to encourage young people to consider an exciting career in aviation; an industry that contributes over €4 billion to Ireland’s economy, with 40,000 people employed in the sector.’
The added that the event contributes €3.5 million to the local economy.