Tahrir > Spain > Wall Street > Dame Street > Galway... Occupy Eyre Square

Saturday October 22, 2011 10:24

by #OccupyGalway

#OccupyEyreSquare: Public Awareness Day, today 1pm

Come along to hear some key speakers on issues relating to the economic MESS we are all facing! This will be a day of solidarity with Occupy protests taking place in over 1600 cities worldwide. Come and show your support and have YOUR voice heard. Live music, refreshments and fun to be had as well!

Occupy Galway is part of the international movement against austerity measures imposed on ordinary people around the world. We are all part of the 99% who, so far, have been subject to economic inequality and social injustice from the 1% who control the world's resources. We, the 99% demand:

1 - The removal of the IMF and ECB from all Irish financial affairs;
2 - That the national debt imposed on Irish people from the bank bailouts be lifted;
3 - The return of Irish resources (gas, oil, forestry) to the people of Ireland;
4 - Real particpatory democracy.

THIS IS NOT A RECESSION, IT'S A ROBBERY!!!

See you there!

#OccupyGalway

#OccupyGalway - Call out for HELP:

If there's ANYONE around Galway city today that is able to bring tarp, a gazebo, sandbags, sleeping bags etc. please do so. They are needed urgently to battle the torrential conditions.

At the moment we need a metal barrel, a generator, an internet usb, a large canvas (for a roof), gaffa tape and hot food is always appreciated!

PLEASE HELP US!

- Occupy Eyre Square: Public Awareness Day
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=262900923747922
Saturday 22 October · 13:00 - 16:00 (today)

- #OccupyGalway on Facebook: Occupy Galway #OccupyGalway
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Galway-OccupyGalwa...49700

#OccupyGalway on TWITTER: http://tinyurl.com/5s5bhqj

**** Earlier reports and links, photos, vids etc *****

***** Movement spreads to Galway's Eyre Square (Irish Times - Monday, October 17, 2011)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1017/1....html

The group has no hierarchical structure, has set up a Facebook page and Twitter account – with the social media links attracting a very mixed, and sometimes critical, reaction.

“In general, the reaction of passers-by has been great, and we only wish the people talking on Facebook would come down and join us,” chef Gillen Hardesty from Renmore and Sean Maguire, from the Galway-Mayo border, said.

“People have offered us food, we’ve been offered the use of toilets, the gardaí kept the drinkers away last night, and the public have been very positive,” they said.

“There is a huge anger and frustration out there and people don’t know what to do because they feel that the International Monetary Fund, rather than the government, is running the country,” they said.

***** International ‘occupy’ protest movement spreads to Galway (Connaught Sentinel - October 18, 2011)
http://www.galwaynews.ie/22157-international-%E2%80%98o...alway

The latest group to join in the international protest which began on Wall Street in the heart of America’s financial district battled gale-force winds and torrential rain in flimsy tents on Eyre Square since they set up camp on Saturday.

At one stage at the height of the 60km-per-hour winds it looked like the protest would be called off after the main shelter – a gazebo – was blown down on Monday morning.

The group retired for what was labelled an urgent meeting in Richardson’s pub but at the time of going to press the group, which is living in about six tents, continued to tweet and post messages on Facebook...

‘OccupyGalway’ joined similar protests in 1,500 cities whose aim is to express “a growing sense of frustration with social inequality and corporate greed”. They also want the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pull out of Ireland...

***** With no agenda or demands, the protesters may be on a winner (Irish Times - Saturday, October 22, 2011)
www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1022/1224306276512.html

Instead of pretending to be a policy think tank, the Occupy movement is transparently a campaign of civil disobedience, and it has had immediate success. It has already altered the parameters of the debate, with talk of balanced budgets and deficit reduction – pernicious euphemisms for small government – rapidly being supplanted by talk of inequality. And by reframing the debate the Occupy movement has already perceptibly shifted the ground on which next year’s US presidential election will be run, forcing Democrats to the left. It has achieved all this in a month.

Ultimately, issuing demands is another way of saying you can be bought off. But you can’t buy a fairer society, you can’t buy a more equitable distribution of wealth and you can’t buy governance free from corporate corruption.

For those goals to be achieved, every actor in a society has to consistently work at them – it’s a process, not a transaction.

Perhaps the Occupy protests’ main achievement, then, won’t be any piece of legislation or banking reform but the legitimisation of protest itself. If they succeed in that, maybe 10 years on Dame Street won’t sound so absurd after all.

**** ELSEWHERE*****

#OccupyGalway might be all toasty and warm with their fancy-pants gazebo
http://www.boomingback.org/2011/10/join-us-on-saturday-....html

From #OccupyDameStreet to #OccupyGalway (Earlier post on imc-ie)
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100658&comment_limit=0&...84922

The American Revolution is underway, #occupywallstreet takes it to the belly of the beast
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100645

#OccupyDameStreet March + Billy Bragg secret solidarity gig
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100761

Occupied by the Arts - Galwayman Vincent Wood
http://vincentjwood.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupied-by-ar....html

Galway Advertiser: In all seriousness, the Occupy Galway tent occupees deserve a medal for sticking it out in these conditions. Gale force winds and driving rain...
http://www.facebook.com/GalwayAdvertiser/posts/10150361...36941

**** photos*****

#OccupyGalway
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Galway-OccupyGalwa...hotos

Irish Independent: http://photos.independent.ie/gallery/Occupy_Protests_Wo...AQa5d

#OccupyGalway: Tent city grows in Eyre Square

#OccupyGalway: We are the 99%

#OccupyGalway: This is what democracy looks like

#OccupyGalway: Is it for this that the sons of Roisín died???

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Comments (8 of 8)

Níos mo griongrafanna as Gaillimh

by Gaillimh abú

Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:30

#OccupyGalway: General assemblies at 1 and 6pm every day

#OccupyGalway: Dear 1% Weve been sleeping- Just woke up- Yours- the 99%

#OccupyGalway: You have to remember, it rains like fuck in the west

#OccupyGalway might be all toasty and warm with their fancy-pants gazebo - Unkie Dave

#OccupyGalway: Duisigí (WAKE UP)

scannaní as gaillimh

by Occupy Galway

Sat Oct 22, 2011 10:49

Occupy Galway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V78qDWzdOoo

Occupy Galway - 16 Oct 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXNXM5Dyj84

Occupy Galway - 19 Oct 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_l4otkDzBg

Caption: Video Id: V78qDWzdOoo Type: Youtube Video
Occupy Galway

Caption: Video Id: I_l4otkDzBg Type: Youtube Video
Occupy Galway - 19 Oct 2011

Here's to the bravest bunch of occupiers in Ireland

by Galwegian

Sat Oct 22, 2011 15:24

Lads / ladies

To camp out in eyre square in winter weather takes balls the size of watermelons. Its a very hostile environment in so many respects.

Kudos to all. Will be by for a chat next week

Solidarity!

Thanks

by Justin Morahan

Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:40

Thanks for your heroic efforts, Go n-éirí libh go geal!

Call out from Occupy Galway

Wed Oct 26, 2011 12:07

Call out from Occupy Galway:

if all the people who seem to be interested in the occupy movement online actually got themselves down to Eyre Square and got involved this process would get a whole lot more effective. we are beginning the process of creating working groups for Media,Community outreach,skillshare&workshops,Actions,Safety etc.

what is possible is limited by the number of people involved.

Think Global.Act Local.

****

Occupy Galway marching in solidarity with the people of Aran Islands prtoesting against a new ferry levy. For more info: http://www.ireland.com/news/protest-over-aran-ferry-lev...25380

****

Saturday was their first Public Awareness day and they have managed to build a nice little stage area, to deal with the elements in the "wild west". Heres a few photos from that day.

All their photos are at http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=221475261249700

Occupy Galway: 1st Public Awareness Day

Occupy Galway: the weather proof stage

Occupy Galway: inside the weather proof stage

Occupy Galway: what they need

managed a vist

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party

Wed Oct 26, 2011 14:58

cant stay..but I'll get back when I can...stick with it..but there is work to be done out here too. Besides, you dont need a medical case on your hands.

Stop feeding our kids to the US/EUrers. Just a thought.

Occupy Galway front page mention on Irish Times

Tue Nov 01, 2011 23:06

OccupyGalway gets front page mention on Irish Times nice one, Michael D Higgins takes ye up on your invitation... “Will you come up for a cup of tea, Michael D?”

The board also featured in metro herald today \ irish news yesterday

Also a banner was held which stated:

Congrats MIchael D But... Stop the handout of €700 million to ANGLO on wed

‎**Occupy Galway featured on a TG4 broadcast tonight at 7pm!! :) (online soon at http://www.tg4.ie/ie/tg4-player/tg4-player.html )

Will you come up for a cup of tea, Michael D?

$michael d tea invite in metro herald today \ irish news yesterday$
michael d tea invite in metro herald today \ irish news yesterday

Congrats MIchael D But... Stop the handout of €700 million to ANGLO on wed

#OccupyGalway: WISHLIST

#OccupyGalway march today to Anglo Irish Bank + NEW VID

Wed Nov 02, 2011 13:28

March to Anglo Irish Bank – Wednesday Nov 2nd @ 12pm from Eyre Square
BLOG: http://www.occupygalway.org/2011/11/01/march-to-anglo-i...uare/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181063368645233

On Wednesday, November 2nd, the Fine Gael / Labour government will pay out over €700 million to the unsecured bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank – a bank that no longer effectively exists or functions as such, a bank that so far has swallowed up billions of euro of Irish taxpayers money to pay for its gambling and speculation .

The bond being paid on Wednesday is unsecured – this means that the government is in no way obligated by any law or agreement to pay it. It is being paid only to appease the vultures of international capitalism that hold this country and others to ransom through their enforcers in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

****

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. As the clock strikes noon today the government will pay back 700million EURO to unguaranteed bondholders of the defunct Anglo Irish Bank. This money is being stolen from the future of Irish children. one of those responsible for this disaster was questioned by gardai yesterday and released without charge. If he had stolen from a supermarket he'd probably still be in custody. this injustice has to stop. To ensure that we never forget this elite robbery OCCUPY GALWAY have organised a Rally and March from Eyre Square camp to the offices of Anglo at Forster st. at NOON today. Please join us. If the public keeps the pressure up we may be able to prevent future payments of even greater sums.

TODAY: 12noon. Occupy Eyre Square.March to Anglo to express disgust and

tell them that enough is enough.

***

VID: Occupy - Action - Galway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HnGY2pCbQ