Why is DCC handing land over to developers? IHN video seminar explains the land grab

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This Irish Housing Network had a seminar on the land grabs happening on 3 major areas of Dublin at the moment as part of the housing crisis. The seminar was to inform residents and housing campaigners of DCC's plan, and to discuss how we can fight it together.

TDs vote not to allow for abortion in cases of Fatal Foetal Abnormalities

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TDs voted against Mick Wallace’s bill July 7th to allow for abortion in cases of Fatal Foetal Abnormalities. This is the second time that TDs have voted this way when Clare Daly’s bill was shot down last year.  The vote comes less than a month after the UN Human Rights Committee declared Ireland’s abortion laws to be a violation of human rights.

60,000 people to be forced on super exploitative jobs scam schemes

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Over 60,000 people are to be forced on super exploitative jobs scam schemes by the government. The programme, which has been dubbed as a scam by many, has been outsourced to two privately run recruitment firms. Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar plans to refer 60,000 unemployed to the privately-run Jobs scam scheme in order to force those most hard-pressed by government cuts to be a cheap labour force for business'.

Dublin Pride 2016 Reflections - Queer liberation, not rainbow capitalism

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I had mixed feelings attending Pride, but mostly felt bewildered and pissed off. I was looking forward to this year's Pride for quite some time. It was my second ever Pride, and I came to march with the Radical Left Bloc, one of two radical blocs attending, which was organised by others. Like last year, I was shocked – somehow again – by the level of corporate infestation and toothlessness.

Here is an important question for everyone: what's the point of Pride?  From being there, I know clearly that people's answers to this question vary hugely.

Black Lives Matter protests in Ireland

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Early July saw Black Lives Matter solidarity protests happen in cities across Ireland, including Cork, Belfast, Galway and two seperate protests on different days in Dublin.

The largest of the Dublin protests was on July 12th when hundreds of people gathered across from the GPO on O'Connell street.  A second protest that Saturday at Central Blank plaza included a march to the GPO.

Kurdish solidarity statement with the Black Lives Matter movement

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This is the Kurdish solidarity statement with the Black Lives Matter movement read out by a delegate of Saoirse Jin at the July 12th Dublin protest.‪

Transcript of video
"Thank you.  Saoirse Jin is an Ireland based womens group in solidarity with the Congress of Women’s Freedom, the KJA in Kurdistan which is a pluralist women’s rights movement fighting for the rights of the Kurds and all minorities in Turkey.  And they sent a message of solidarity to this protest. So I’m going to read it for the KJA

Theresa May elected but there can be no such thing as a feminist Tory

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Theresa May has just become the UK’s latest Prime Minister and the second ever woman Prime Minister. She’s certainly a decent orator paired with a comedian of a speech writer who wrote a statement filled with faux concern about making the “UK a country that works for all and not just the privileged few” – it’s as if she thinks we don’t know she’s a member of the privileged-few-loving Conservative Party, or as she reminded us, Conservative and Unionist Party (I’m not sure that’s supposed to make us feel better about the Tories…).

Kurdish version of A Las Barricadas released to mark anniversaries of Spanish and Rojava revolutions today, July 19th

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To mark todays 80th anniversary of the Spanish revolution and what is also the 4th anniversary of the Rojava revolution in Kobane this recording of a Kurdish version of A Las Barricadas has just been released.

 

It's recorded in Qamişlo, Rojava by members of the Mohamed Şêxo art and culture centre. The performers say "What happened in Barcelona on 19th July 1936 was repeated 76 years later. We started in Kobanê, and it was there that we put up our fiercest resistance. Countless comrades have fallen to defend this city against the fascists, just like the countless comrades who gave their live to defend the revolution in Catalonia and Spain.

Derry anarchists demonstration for anarchists and antifascists imprisoned in Russia

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Anarchists in Derry took part in a series of solidarity actions in a show of international support and solidarity with anarchists and antifascists imprisoned in Russia.

Last month the Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow issued an international call for solidarity in support of activists currently facing an extremely intensive political and repressive situation in Russia, especially anarchist and antifa comrades and those fighting for human rights and social justice issues.

Why we say Black Lives Matter and not All Lives Matter

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Black Power salute in front of Black Lives Matter banner outside GPO in DublinThere's a funny glitch in both US and Irish society that whenever 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) is said, inevitably there's an echo of 'All Lives Matter' (ALM). Like good social technicians let's try and fix that glitch.

Black Lives Matter is variously accused of being 'racist', 'divisive', and 'distracting' from what's 'really' happening and 'real' issues. But this is mistaken.

'Black Lives Matter' is not a statement made in a vaccuum, out of nowhere - 'Black Lives Matter' is a response. It's a direct response to every killing of a black person by the police, as agents of the white supremacist state. Every killing, and the subsequent indifference of (white) society and impunity of the killers, is a message: BANG, BANG, 'Black Lives Don't Matter'. 'No' is the reply, 'Black Lives Matter'.