Workers Solidarity Movement

On October 22^nd, in the biggest show of student strength in many years, over 15,000 third level students marched through the streets of Dublin. They were united in their opposition to the Budget’s 67% College Registration Fee increase and Minister for Education, Batt O’Keefe’s threat to bring back full college fees by September 2009. Last month, he announced that the return of fees would raise €530 million in revenue at a family income threshold of €120,000. To his embarrassment, he later had to admit that these figures were wrong and that in fact the maximum revenue would be only €130 million.

WSM member Gregor Kerr took part in the Grassroots Mobilisation in Ireland: Opportunities and Challenges panel at Bloom’s First Activist Forum Saturday 8th November in the Teachers Club in Dublin. This is a recording of the session.

Abortion is a criminal offence in Ireland, even in cases in which a woman is carrying a non-viable foetus, is pregnant as a result of rape or incest or where pregnancy threatens her health. The state has not clarified the circumstances in which abortion to save the life of the women is permissible. The following is an interview with a member of the Cork Women's Right to Choose (CWRTC), an activist group campaigning for abortion rights in Cork (first published in Rebel Worker).

Interview from RTE (Irish state radio) about space in the city and the Seomra Spraoi project which has just opened a new building in Dublin's city centre.

As well as taking part in local and national demonstrations in support of the Rossport residents, about 20 WSM members participated in the mass trespass of Shell's Mayo construction site on February 16th. This marks a step forward for the Shell To Sea campaign because it recognises that lobbying politicians is not enough, when you are continually lied to or brushed off you have to take action yourself.

Just before Christmas, Anarchist Youth decided unanimously to formally disband. All remaining members have or are in the process of joining the Workers Solidarity Movement. We felt we wanted to be part of a larger organisation with a better organisational structure, more of a support base and better resources.

After more than a year of searching for a suitable venue, the Seomra Spraoi collective has finally taken possession of a space at 6 Ormond Quay, across the river from Bono’s Clarence Hotel. Despite the long wait, the hard work of the collective seems to have paid off, as the Seomra’s calendar struggles to fit all those who wish to use the space. Every week it hosts meetings for the Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist Group, Anarchist Prisoner Support, the Revolt Video film collective, as well as the regular Thursday assembly of the Seomra Spraoi collective.

Short (1.5 min) interview with a WSM member involved in the Dublin based Revolutionary Anarcho-Feminist Group who have just launched a magazine with some photos of the Dublin launch.

Official Ireland pretends that abortion doesn't exist, the estimated 100,000 women who have travelled abroad to terminate pregnancies since the 1983 amendment to the Constitution know different. Workers Solidarity spoke to Niav Keating from the new pro-choice youth group.

Late last year some younger anarchists in Dublin and Wicklow got together and formed their own organisation. Workers Solidarity asked them why?