Workers Solidarity Movement

After weeks of Garda provocation, and just after Garda beat protesters with batons someone finally snapped and threw a single brick back. When a politician as unpopular as Joan Burton uses dozens of riot police to force her way into and out of one of the most deprived communities in the state, what should be expected but angry protest. And when at a moment of unprecedented popular mobilisation those same Garda pull pepper spray & batons for use against water charge resistors what is a single brick bouncing off a car in response.

Of course the mainstream media and political establishment will seize this to try and divide the movement, to set ‘good protester’ against ‘bad protester’. We reject this. The real issue is why is this unpopular tax being imposed and why is Garda violence being used against those who dare to protest. Yes the establishment has chosen to escalate rather than back down, our approach must be unity in the face of that attack and rejection of any attempt to scapegoat those the state tries to criminalise.

Joan Burton can probably consider herself very lucky that in one of the communities that has suffered most from her government's policies, all that happened was she was delayed for a couple of hours. Her government's policies have visited a lot of violence on families in Jobstown and elsewhere

Still image is from Sunday World video which shows a very large riot squad deployment shoving people off the road and edges of road to make way for Burton's convoy moments before a figure appears to throw an object which bounces off a Garda car.

Footage of mob of Garda trying to drag away water charge resistors for daring to sit on ground in front of Taniste Joan Burton's car in Jobstown earlier today.

Graduates did not want Joan ruining their day

Further exposure of the depth of media & Labour Party lies about Jobstown last weekend. Lou Dunne, one of those graduating reveals that they did not want Burton there and refused to clap her or have a photograph taken with her. [ See video ]

Through their class rep. they said they didn't want Burton there but were told that if they didn't want to attend they could get their degree in absentia.

The media claimed the ceremony was ruined, Lou said it wasn't, that they and their families had a great day.