Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
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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.
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).
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.
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.
Drop the charges against the Jobstown 27 - march this Saturday
Date: Thu, 2015-09-17 10:02
At the start of the week the Garda served summons on many of those they've been telling the media on and off they were going to prosecute for allegedly 'unlawfully imprisoning' Joan Burton in a 100,000 euro limo for a couple of hours. It would be laughable if the potential sentences were not so severe and if the reality is all too close to some tinpot dictatorship where the elite live on a cloud far above everyone else.
This Saturday at 13.00 there will be a protest march from the Central Bank to the CCJ in Parkgate Street in solidarity with the men and women who have been summonsed to court.
A good turn out is important, the failure of the anti-water charges movement to mobilise when activist Steven Bennett was jailed without trial for weeks sent out the message to the state that internal divisions would allow them to pick us off section by section. It's important that this impression is reversed by the movement standing together.
Carrigtwohill lights the road for refugee solidarity
Date: Mon, 2015-09-14 21:23
There are many, many inspiring solidarity actions happening across Ireland at the moment. We've been following in particular the spontaneous formation of X to Calais groups around the county, modelled on the Cork to Calais one.
Before the government had indicated any intention to act these groups were formed in cities, towns and villages right across the country in order to collect needed supplies, form convoys and drive them to the migrant camps across Europe starting with the inspiring site of consistent self organised resistance at Calais.
Dubliners gather to spell out Refugees Welcome on Sandymount strand
Date: Mon, 2015-09-14 20:25
On a damp Sunday afternoon hundreds of Dubliners gathered to spell out a clear Refugees Welcome mention on Sandymount strand, opposite the iconic Pigeon House chimneys.
The organisers had said "Let's tell our government that people in Ireland want to extend the Céad Míle Fáilte to the thousands escaping conflicts. European ministers are meeting on Monday 14th September to agree a new programme."
Quick interview at Jigsaw about Dublin to Calais refugee solidarity
Date: Mon, 2015-09-14 16:49
One of our reporters was using his van to help transport refugee solidarity donations to Jigsaw, one of the Dublin sorting points of this grassroots initiative. He took a moment to shoot this quick video explainer showing the volume of materials that has poured in.
The 'X to Calais' solidarity groups formed in cities, towns and villages right across Ireland in order to collect needed supplies, form convoys and drive them to the migrant camps across Europe starting with the inspiring site of consistent self organised resistance at Calais.
The government are trying to stop Apple giving Ireland 19 billion in owed taxes - how's that for 'looking after our own?
Date: Mon, 2015-09-14 16:41
How many could we house, educate and care for with 19 billion? Our government is currently furiously fighting the European Union to prevent Apple paying us back taxes it owes us. There has been a lot of ‘concern’ about government plans to spend 48 million looking after 4000 people fleeing warfare in Syria and Iraq. The government and the media defend there ‘our own’ is first - the super rich in Ireland and elsewhere!
