Workers Solidarity Movement

On Saturday the 28th of April, hundreds are expected to gather for Reclaim the Streets. People will be meeting at the Spire on O’Connell Street at 2pm, and the exact location of the event will only be disclosed on the day itself.

A soundsystem, DJs, face-painters and dancers will congregate to turn a small section of Dublin’s city centre into a carnival of hope and creativity. Donal Corcoran, one of the event coordinators comments “There hasn’t been a Reclaim the Streets party in almost a decade and it’s time that changed. This is about reclaiming public space and creating a positive atmosphere and a hub of entertainment for a few hours”.

Organisational measures have been taken to ensure that there will be an atmosphere that caters for everyone. Cyclists will form a ‘critical mass’ en route to the party, music, participative artwork, free food and facepainting will all form part of the entertainment. People involved in coordinating are optimistic that the event will be successful. Donal states “The police used violence to clear RTS back in 2002. But we are making it clear from the start that we don’t want that, we condemn violence and don’t see any place for it at an event where people have come out solely to have a good time. We will also ensure that the site is cleaned up before we leave and are encouraging people to keep the streets litter free”.

Despite the clashes that marked 2002, Reclaim the Streets has always been something special for partakers and onlookers alike. It’s the only event of its kind in Ireland, and it is attracting a great deal of attention on the streets and especially on social media. Currently there are over 700 confirmed guests on the Facebook event page, and stickers have been sprouting like mushrooms on electrical boxes and lamp-posts all over the city. Donal Corcoran concludes “Adding to the mystique behind Reclaim the Streets, no one really knows where it is or what it’s going to be like until the day itself, and it is organised spontaneously by all the people who attend it, which sets it apart from commercial and lucrative approaches to entertainment.”