Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
March for Choice - video report
Date: Tue, 2015-09-29 15:23
Last Saturday the 26th of September saw thousands of people take to the streets of Dublin for the now annual March for Choice. The march is organized every year by the Abortion Rights Campaign.
The current key demand is that for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. This amendment passed in 1983 equates the life of a mother with that of a foetus. It's implementation through the legislation of the Labor Party party and FIne Gail government means in effect that a doctor who helps a pregnant person have an abortion or someone who procures one in Ireland could face a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
“We want them back alive!” Dublin Solidarity with the Disappeared of Ayotzinapa, Mexico
Date: Tue, 2015-09-29 14:04
Can you imagine the state using its police force in order to create opportunities for capitalists to make money? Can you imagine natural resources not being used for the benefit of an ecologically sustainable society and instead being used purely for corporations' profit?
Over a year ago, on the night of 26 September 2014, a group of student teachers in the Mexican state of Guerrero were ambushed by municipal police as they travelled in a convoy of buses through the city of Iguala. Five people, including two students, were killed when the officers opened fire on the buses, and another student was later found dead, his body showing signs of horrific torture. Forty-three other students simply disappeared without trace [1].
Irish Water bills burned in Kildare
Date: Sun, 2015-09-27 14:45
Yesterday afternoon in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, a crowd assembled at 2pm outside the town hall in order to collectively burn their bills in a symbolic act of defiance of Irish Water and the government's plans to introduce a double charge for water provision. The assembled protesters understand that if everyone paid up and Irish Water managed to establish these charges, they would rapidly increase to the point where water charges were a lucrative revenue stream for the company and a significant drain on our limited incomes.
If that were to happen, the government would certainly privatise the company and virtually gift ownership of the rights to water provision to a profit seeking company. Nowhere in the Water Services Act (2013) does it say that privatisation is prohibited. In fact, Eurostat noted in a letter to the CSO in July of this year that "Privatisation Of Irish Water Is Ultimately Envisaged". Further, Irish Water was established as a subsidiary of another privatised company, Bord Gáis (privatised in mid 2014 as part of the IMF/Irish State engineered giveaway of Irish assets to international capital).
Homeless march on the opening of the Dail
Date: Thu, 2015-09-24 16:56
The opening of the Dail was marked by protests by organisations campaigning on housing and homelessness and by over the top policing of them. Steel fences and dozens of Garda were used to hem a crowd that was probably never larger than 120 into the end of Molesworth street, presumably least any TD have to interact with them as they sought to flee the Dail.
Ireland's Great Wealth Divide - A critical look at the David McWilliams documentary
Date: Thu, 2015-09-24 16:37
Monday night (22/09/2015) RTE aired the misguided David McWilliams documentary "Ireland's Great Wealth Divide". It points out that the richest of the rich have far, far more than their fair share and that it's considerably worse than "we" think it is - this is demonstrated with opinion poll data (see image below) showing how Irish people would like wealth to be divided, contrasted against how "we" think it's divided and how it's actually divided. It also argues against the notion of trickle down economics, pointing out that the wealthy don't let their money trickle down and do not create jobs.
The Boston Famine Memorial - A reminder from 'our own' history
Date: Thu, 2015-09-24 15:21
The inscription on the memorial to the Irish 'Famine' in Boston serves to remind us of much we should not have forgotten and how shameful some of our words today must sound to the millions who suffered then.
Over 1000 early medical abortion pills seized by Irish customs
Date: Thu, 2015-09-24 14:58
Over 1,000 abortion pills were seized last year at customs, a figure that represents double the amount seized the two years previous. This fact is very much in contradiction with the myth of the anti-choice side that there is no demand for abortion in Ireland.
Despite the fact that abortion is illegal in Ireland and having an abortion, or even helping someone have one, is punishable by up to 14 years in jail it is a well known fact that abortions still occur.
You can't come in!! Looking after 'our own' millionaires first?
Date: Thu, 2015-09-24 14:37
'Enda here ... We've a real immigration problem. Not enough multinationals are taking refuge in our tax haven'.
No we have no more room. No more room in Fortress Europe. This is the civilised world after all! And especially no more room in THIS country. That could be Ireland, or Germany, or France, or Greece, depending on who's speaking of course. But not HERE. Sorry but if those people wanted to have a decent life like the rest of us, they should have thought about that before being born on the wrong patch of planet Earth.
Eviction in Phibsboro - June 2015 - video & interview
Date: Wed, 2015-09-23 16:08
This video shows the view from inside the house evicted on the last Tuesday evening June 2015 by a large gang of Garda in Dublin operating without a search warrant or eviction order.
Drop the Charges against the Jobstown 3 March - report with video
Date: Tue, 2015-09-22 16:18
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.