Workers Solidarity Movement

This year May Day fell on a Saturday, meaning that the Dublin march would take place on the day itself. Almost a wash-out (owing to two hours of quite heavy rain right before the demonstration) the march was essentially going through the motions of a Dublin May Day from beginning to end.

Mayday is International Workers' Day marking the execution of anarchist union organisers in Chicago in the 1880's.  Come along to the Dublin march, details below, and join us for a drink afterwards.

Kathleen McMahon the governor of Mountjoy Prison's Dóchas Centre has resigned after 10 years in the job saying that the prison was chronically overcrowded. 137 women are crammed into a space designed for 85 many for 'low risk' crimes including failure to meet loan repayments to credit unions for which she says "they never should have been jailed." A number of Shell to Sea campaigners have also been jailed in Mountjoy over the last few months including four for trivial Public Order offences that were later struck out at their trial and where it was judged they had been subject to wrongful detention.

Six activists from the left republican group eirigi occupied the premises of the Anglo Irish Bank on Stephen's Green this morning as part of a protest at the more than 30 billion that bank is taking off Irish workers as a result of NAMA.

Seomra Spraoi are hosting a skill share weekend from this Friday for the environmental campaigning group Gluaiseacht.  One of the talks over the weekend is being given by a WSM member but several are being given by people and campaigns we have worked with in the last year.  The Oil & Gas Resources and Water Tax sessions are particular recommended.

2nd of the Rethinking Revolution sessions - Are we spending our precious time outside of work at protests and meetings because we want to improve our lives or are we just fighting for future generations. In either case what is it that we are trying to do as we move from topic to topic and struggle to struggle? Alan MacSimoin doesn't expect to see the glorious day while Andrew Flood is preparing for it being just around the corner.

Over a 1500 people gathered at the Garden of Remembrance Saturday afternoon in a Rally organised and called by the Socialist party to remember the 15 year old, Toyosi Shitta-Bey who was stabbed to death in Tyrrelstown on good Friday. Today was an important day for people to stand up and show that there are people who say racism and thuggery have no place in the Ireland that we want. It was a day to remember a young inspirational life – this boys death may make us face up to the racism that exists in our society so that we deal with it, and extinguish it.

For the second time in six months, workers at Connolly Shoes Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin, members of the Mandate trade union, have taken to the picket line.  The strike began on Tuesday 6th April following the dismissal of two workers.

The dispute has its origin in attempts by management last September to introduce short-time working. 

The workers on strike are getting great support and solidarity from members of the public.  The leaflet being handed out by the strikers reads as follows:

A rally will taken place in Dublin, Saturday 10th April at 14.00 in memory of of Toyosi Shittabey (15) who was stabbed in an attack at Tyrrelstown, north-west Dublin on Good Friday (April 2nd 2010).  It will be followed by a march to the Dail and has been called by the Toyosi Memorial Committee.

These opinions and reactions are just a small sample of what is out there. This Easter Week, we should look at the event not just as a week long insurrection, but as an event that would ricochet on through the troubles that followed and continue to spark debate long after the last bullets whizzed through the Dublin sky.