"A diplomat turned activist, Casement remains one of Ireland's most complex and inspiring historical figures; he was a man of profound moral conviction and compassion. After joining the British Foreign Ministry in 1901 and serving as Consul at Boma in the Congo, Casement investigated and exposed human rights abuses under King Leopold II's brutal regime. His groundbreaking "Casement Report" (1904) helped end a 23-year reign of terror in the so-called "Congo Free State," forcing international reform."
"In 1911, Casement knelt before King George V and was knighted for his humanitarian work. Five years later, he was arrested for his role in the Easter Uprising in 1916. During his trial, he was exposed as a homosexual, which many believed fueled hatred of him at the time and drew attention away from his once-lauded humanitarian efforts. He was executed in prison."
A new Rainbow Honor Walk plaque was unveiled on October 28, 2025, outside 501 Castro Street in San Francisco to honor Irish human rights activist Roger Casement (1864–1916). The unveiling involved Michael Smith, Irish Consul General, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, and was led by Donna Sachet; Commander Jack Hart performed a Gaelic song. Casement served as a British consul in the Congo, authored the landmark 1904 "Casement Report" that exposed King Leopold II's abuses and spurred reform, and was knighted in 1911. He was later arrested after the 1916 Easter Uprising, publicly outed during his trial, and executed. Additional plaques will be added to the Rainbow Honor Walk in coming weeks.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]