Workers Solidarity Movement

Yesterday morning when news of the cement truck blocking the Dail gates broke politicians and possibly Gardai spun the story to make it sound as if this one man protest was a lot more dangerous then the reality. We were told Gardai had to jump out of the way of the truck and that it crashed into the gates. Now mobile phone footage showing the entire incident reveals that the truth was not being told about this one man protest by a minor developer.

Last night in Dublin former US president Bill Clinton told an invited gathering of 575 of the richest 1% of Ireland's population that they were the greatest problem facing the world. They paid over 2500 a head to hear this as they chomped down on "Atlantic salmon, Connemara lamb and lemon posset, washed down with Chablis Domaine de la Mandeliere 2007 and Chateau Les Roches Gaby 2001."

The 1% Network has said that the tackling of wealth inequality must become a political priority.  Citing the TASC survey[i] published in mid-August which showed that 87% of Irish people believe that wealth is unfairly distributed, Gregor Kerr spokesperson for the 1% Network said: “It’s clear that ordinary people see tackling the unfair way in which wealth is distributed in this country as something which should be a political priority.  The government want to continue to take the easy option of cutting public services and taking money from the pockets of ordinary people.  But the rest of us know that it is unfair that the 1% who own 34% of the wealth should continue to be protected while the we suffer.”

Up to 1,500 workers (Irish Times estimate) marched from Anglo-Irish Bank to the Dáil at lunchtime today. For a lunchtime event with very little publicity it was a surprisingly good turnout. The ICTU leaders had only planned for a stunt to get themselves on the TV news, their original idea was that a couple of hundred union officials and activists would provide a backdrop for David Begg or Jack O'Connor delivering a soundbite.

It was one of those moments when you're certain that tens of thousands of other people are going through the same emotions at the same time as you. One of the rarer ones of late when the emotion is sheer joy. I wasn't really paying attention to the crackling radio as I was coming around with my cup of tea this morning, chit-chatting to my housemate. But the words 'cement truck', 'Leinster House', 'Dail Eireann', 'Gates' eventually got our attention. Oh the delight of it! 

The 1% network has announced details of a ‘political walking tour’ through the affluent districts of Dublin 2 and Dublin 4. The tour, which will bring protesters through the ‘heartland of the Golden Circle’, will stop at a number of locations, including the new headquarters of Anglo Irish Bank on Burlington Road, property developer Johnny Ronan’s property on Burlington Road and IBEC headquarters on Baggot Street. The tour will assemble at the Wolfe Tone Monument on Stephens Green at 1pm on Saturday, October 9th, 2010.

September 29th sees the politicians return to 'work' after their summer holidays.  We'll be there to meet them with our 'Make The Rich Pay' protest.  

On Saturday October 9th a political walking tour through Dublin 2 and Dublin 4 will take place. In this area Banks, private mansions and corporate headquarters sit side by side in the heartland of the ‘golden circle’. The tour aims to highlight the deep injustice at the heart of Irish society

Assemble 1pm Saturday October 9th
Wolfe Tone Monument, Stephens Green

At 9:30 this morning, people gathered on O'Connell Street In Dublin to protest against the presence of war criminal and ex British prime-minister Tony Blair. Blair arrived at Easons at around 10am for the book-signing of his recent autobiography, escorted and protected by a sizable gardai presence. Despite the heavy rain, hundreds of protestors took part.  At least one protester managed to get past the heavy security to try to make a citizens arrest of Blair for his war crimes.