Workers Solidarity Movement

The Irish Water battle came right to the door step of Sean O'Casy's home on Inisfallen Parade this morning. Garda assaults have seen one person injuries and attempted intimidation on balaclava wearing goons hired by Irish Water is continuing. 

We note that while the media has had a huge focus on insults shouted at the president no questions have been raised at why 'security' are not only following and videoing residents but are now running around masked up and refusing to identify themselves. It seems extraordinary that the media have failed to notice this while at the same time having such a focus on verbal insults (which have now been apologised for). You'd almost think they had an agenda.

O'Casey wrote a history of the Irish Citizen Army. It was formed in the aftermath of police attacks on striking workers and in the extract below O'Casey described how at a rally Jim Larkin suggested that to defend themselves the workers need to organise.

"Therefore the workers must become disciplined, organised, made of the one stuff in thought and action,so that in all that they would essay to do for themselves there would be a spontaneous unity of pressure and a hardened and impenetrable unity of resistance. The men must get to know each other. They must no longer be content to assemble in hopeless, haphazard crowds, in which a man does not know and cannot trust the man that stands next to him, but in all their future assemblies they must be so organised that there will be a special place for every man, and a particular duty for each man to do.

"They knew to their cost that a few determined men,determined because they were imbued with the force of discipline, led by men whom they looked upon as their leaders, could scatter, like spray before the wind, the largest gatherings of men, who, untaught and loosely strung together, would always be dominated by the possibility of fear and panic.

"If they would not agree to bring themselves under the influence of an ordered and systematic discipline, then they could never hope to resist the efforts that were being made to prevent them assembling peaceably to, discuss affairs of their Union. By order and discipline only could they hope to secure for themselves the recognition of the sacred heritage bestowed by Nature upon every man born into the world - the right to live. All this must be changed, and he, with the help of Captain White, who would soon address them, was determined to begin the work now that would bring about this much desired improvement in the strength and mutual combination of the various sections of the workers."

Captain White later went on to become an anarchist in the 1930s and wrote one of the first Irish pamphlets on Anarchism, 'The meaning of Anarchism'

You can read O'Caseys history of the ICA at http://www.wsm.ie/c/story-irish-citizen-army-ocasey

The photo is from the Dorset St. Area against Water Meters page. Follow them for regular updates

Update - There were 3 arrests this morning just off Dorset Street; this afternoon Gardaí started pushing people slow-walking in front on lorry and digger, pushing two of them violently on to the ground. One who has a bad back had to remain on her hands and knees until an ambulance arrived. Garda sergeant openly threatened one individual and personally abused another.