The photos shows the Jobstown 23 'Drop the Charges' banner on its way down the Quays to the courts on Parkgate street. The Jobstown 27 charged in connection with the protest last November which saw Labour Party leader struck in her car because of a sit-in just in front of her.
Revenge came initially in the form of over the top dawn raids on the houses of water charge activists and now after a long delay many are charged with crimes as serious as false imprisonment - the maximum sentence for this is 14 years - despite the fact that several Garda were also around her car at all times. The number facing charges means this may be one of the largest political trials in Ireland for some decades.
The Protestant Coalition has called for a "Protest against refugees/terrorists heading to the U.K" to be held in Belfast City centre on the 27th of September.
To mark the return of the government this Tuesday, there will be a protest held outside the bureaucratic central body of the Irish state (the Dail). Once again the state is trying to brush the housing and homeless problem under the carpet. Last we have seen the unavailing of the states answer to the problem, modular housing units (prefabs).
Republican Sinn Fein and the Continuity IRA
Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) and the Continuity IRA were established due to a split within Provisional Sinn Fein (PSF). At PSF's 1986 ard fheis, members supported the proposal to drop abstentionist policy (not recognizing the Irish state) in the 26 county state. Those at the ard fheis who were opposed to the policy walked out of the ard fheis and out of the Provisional movement. They went on to create Republican Sinn Fein. The split was a political one so it was mainly members of PSF that left - not many members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) left. They saw the need to create a new organization because they believed PSF had broken from the Republican tradition of abstentionism. The Provisional Movement was created for the exact same reason. The same people that created the Provisionals went on to create Republican Sinn Fein.
At the start of the week the Garda served summons on many of those they've been telling the media on and off they were going to prosecute for allegedly 'unlawfully imprisoning' Joan Burton in a 100,000 euro limo for a couple of hours. It would be laughable if the potential sentences were not so severe and if the reality is all too close to some tinpot dictatorship where the elite live on a cloud far above everyone else.
This Saturday at 13.00 there will be a protest march from the Central Bank to the CCJ in Parkgate Street in solidarity with the men and women who have been summonsed to court.
A good turn out is important, the failure of the anti-water charges movement to mobilise when activist Steven Bennett was jailed without trial for weeks sent out the message to the state that internal divisions would allow them to pick us off section by section. It's important that this impression is reversed by the movement standing together.
Myself and some comrades were approached by a young mother from Coolock that recently became homeless. The woman and her children became homeless a few weeks previous. While her kids are in school during the day the mother either walks the streets or calls into friends or family member’s homes. When school has ended for the day they have to rely on family and friends to let them stay in their homes. Sometimes the mother has to split her children up so that she’d definitely have a roof over all her kid’s heads for the night.
She had to leave the house she was renting because of the condition the house was in. She went to Dublin City Council (DCC) and because of the advice given to her by the council she registered herself as being homeless. She asked the council to be put up in one of the state’s homeless hostels or money for a hotel room or a B&B. She was told there is no more spaces left in the hostels, but the council would give her money for a hotel room or B&B. The young mother spent days then weeks trying to get a room in a hotel or B&B that would be suitable for her and her children, but to no avail. She had to survive from the good will of her friends and family.
A housing direct action is took place this morning (14 Sept) at the Dublin City Council (DCC) office in Bunratty Civic Centre, Coolock in Dublin. Mother’s and their children who are in need of housing occupied the offices in order to force the council to answer their questions. In particular they want to know why many people are discovering there isn’t even emergency accommodation available.
Some of the mothers are currently living in hotels or B&B's (which DCC pay for) with their kids while others are couch surfing in the homes of friends and relations. There are a huge number of ‘hidden homeless’ in such situations.
The Refugees Welcome rally saw a good crowd assembled at the Spire in Dublin. The rally was a response where people wanted to express their solidarity with the refugees who are attempting to escape war and death.
Thanks to the work of a few volunteers WSM had some banners to bring to the Refugees are Welcome rally and march at the Spire on Saturday the 12th of September. The banners were important to link up certain struggles. One linked the appalling reaction to the social housing crisis by this government with their slow reaction to the humanitarian crisis on the edges of fortress Europe, which simply stated Homes for All, Refuge for All, and another which read No Borders No Nations.
"As a housing activist who is seeing directly family after family evicted, fighting with them to stay in their homes, facing court to open up buildings and fighting more generally so that everyone has a home and housing is a right, I don't want to see housing and homeless used to attack refugees. We can help the homeless AND refugees. Get involved in housing and homeless groups, get involved in anti-racism groups, take down this government, tear down this racism, sexist, classist state."
Housing activist Seamus Farrell used this powerful image of anti Irish racism from the 19th century to remind us that the refugees fleeing Syria have far more in common with us than the billionaire's that run this county. He circulated it with the following text during the week
Like what you're reading?
Find out when we publish more via the
WSM Facebook & WSM Twitter
Recent comments
29 weeks 5 days ago
29 weeks 5 days ago
1 year 8 weeks ago
1 year 10 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 13 weeks ago
50 weeks 1 day ago
1 year 16 weeks ago
1 year 16 weeks ago