Draft legislation published by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the 20th April 2010 ostensibly to deal with the issue of contentious parades, will outlaw all public demonstrations, protests etc that have not given the police 37 days notice. So, trade unions, women’s groups, anti-racist groups, community organisations, political activists – any campaigners – can forget about calling emergency protests if this law goes through.
The notes attached to the Bill give as an example that “if a group wanted to protest against the closure of a local sports facility….the group’s activity would fall under the definition of a public meeting and would therefore be subject to the notification procedures for a public assembly”.
If the Bill becomes law, ALL gatherings involving 50 or more people, and which take place in any “public space” will be required to give 37 days prior notice. “Public space” is defined as “any road or footway or any other place, apart from a building to which the public or a section of the public has access”. This definition would include the grounds or entrances to workplaces, schools, hospitals, government and council offices etc.

It is no accident that this law is proposed now – major cuts in public spending are already underway. This will mean the loss of thousands of jobs, the closure of schools, hospital wards and day centres, cuts to the community and voluntary sector and to all kinds of services and the introduction of water charges. There will be a vital need to resist the cuts.

“WE NEED A PEOPLE’S REBELLION”

At a press conference this morning organised by the Right to Work Campaign, the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) committed itself to mobilising across the country for a national demonstration that will take place at Dail Eireann on Tuesday May 11th at 7.30pm.

The press conference was attended by: Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett (People Before Profit Alliance), Aengus O Snodaigh TD (Sinn Fein), Joe Higgins TD (Socialist Party).

The recently established Right to Work Campaign, which is a broad coalition of community, civil society, trade unions, political groups and individuals has called the demonstration to oppose the escalating bailout of Irish Banks and calling instead for the government’s priority to be focused on bailing out jobs, incomes and public services for ordinary workers and citizens. The May 11th protest is also officially sponsored by the trade union UNITE. The May 11th protest will be addressed by Fintan O’ Toole (Journalist), John Bisset (Canal Communities), Walter Cullen (UNITE), John Kidd (SIPTU Firefighters), Siobhan Mc Guire (Community Workers Co-Op) & others.

In it’s statement the PBPA, called for a “people’s rebellion” against the current government and it’s policies, which it said were leading to a decimation of jobs, incomes and public services, while protecting the institutions and wealthy elites that were responsible for the crisis in the first place.

In a statement, Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance has said a special meeting of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co. Council due to take place next Monday 26th at 12.30pm will finally force Councillors to “pin their colours to the mast” on the issue of Sallynoggin library, which was recently closed down.

The special meeting has been called to deal with the huge back-log of Councillors motions that have built up over the last number of months.

The meeting will finally allow debate and a vote on a motion tabled by Councillor Boyd Barrett in January that calls for the decision to close the library to be reversed.

Over the last number of months Cllr Boyd Barrett has been involved in organising a campaign and protests against the library closure, following the decision of the Council to pass a budget in December that included the closure plan.

Cllr Boyd Barrett has condemned the government cut-backs and recruitment embargo that created a staffing crisis for the County library service but has also been sharply critical of the Fine Gael, Labour majority on the Council for singling out Sallynoggin library to bear the brunt of the cut-backs.

Cllr Boyd Barrett also has motions pending condemning the government’s recent budgets, cut-backs and the NAMA scheme and a motion relating to the future of Dun Laoghaire Harbour , which are also likely to be dealt with at the meeting.

Cllr Boyd Barrett said:
“This is a moment of truth for all the main parties in the Council. Now they will have to pin their colours to the mast. They have all tried to pass the buck of responsibility on the issue of Sallynoggin library since they agreed to its closure at the December budget meeting. Fianna Fail tried to blame Fine Gael and Labour, while Fine Gael and Labour said it was all the government’s fault. In reality, they are all responsible.

* ATTEMPTS TO RE-INTRODUCE DOMESTIC WATER TAX WILL BE VIGOROUSLY OPPOSED – WARNS ANTI-WATER TAX CAMPAIGN

* RESIDENTS WILL NOT PAY ON THE DOUBLE FOR GOVERNMENT INACTION

Responding to the announcement by Minister Gormley of his intention to implement water charges and meters as part what he calls a major investment in water infrastructure, campaigners warned that his plans will be met with a mass campaign of civil disobedience, the length and breath of the country, which will make the charge uncollectable.

Investment in water infrastructure has long been inadequate. Government starving of local authority funds are compounding the problem, and now the bill for their inaction is to be borne by hard-pressed residents. This will not be tolerated.

Half of the state’s housing stock has been built since we succeeded in abolishing this tax in the mid-1990s, yet precious little water conservation measures were put in place in terms of rain water harvesting or dual flush toilets. Now they want to introduce meters. This exposes the con, if this was about conservation, they would be investing far more and would be linking it with new building regulations, all meters do is to measure consumption, they don’t alter it. Their only purpose to commodify an essential public service and facilitate a direct charge. Workers and pensioners cannot afford to pay on the double. We all pay through our central taxation.

The investment in infrastruture upgrade announced by the Minister pales into insignificance to the €12 billion to Anglo Irish Bank, and the tens of billions that will be paid by the taxpayer to the other banks and NAMA.

A new Trade Union Branch of the People before Profit Alliance has been set up in Belfast. Rank and File members from Unite, NIPSA, NASUWT