Jailings of Anti-Water Charges Protesters: A disgrace!
national |
bin tax / household tax / water tax |
feature 
Friday February 20, 2015 16:34
by anti-austerity alliance
So how many bankers went to jail ? None! One Law for the Rich and One for the Rest of Us
political policing kicks in...
The Anti-Austerity Alliance has today condemned the jailing of anti-water meter protestors at the behest of Denis O’Brien’s company GMC Sierra.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said “The jailing of these protestors and the arrests in Tallaght is an attack on the right of communities to protest against the imposition of austerity measures, in this case the water charge and meters, which are being imposed by the government despite the massive opposition to them.
Related Links: Right2Water campaign shocked at jailing of water protesters| Stop poitical policing - Stop the arrests now! | Right to Plunder the Economy, Not Right to Protest | Free the Jobstown 4! - Socialist Party Press Release | Paul Murphy TD arrested on trumped up charges designed to discredit Anti-Water Charges campaign
The Anti-Austerity Alliance has today condemned the jailing of anti-water meter protestors at the behest of Denis O’Brien’s company GMC Sierra.
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy said “The jailing of these protestors and the arrests in Tallaght is an attack on the right of communities to protest against the imposition of austerity measures, in this case the water charge and meters, which are being imposed by the government despite the massive opposition to them.
“The court has jailed these protestors at the behest of the Denis O’Brien owned GMC Sierra so that they can continue to try to impose water meters on communities which have risen up in peaceful protest against their installation. Once again, the courts have been used to attack the right of people to engage in peaceful protest.
“The attacks from the state on the campaign against water charges needs to be met with a significant response by the campaign and communities, the protest which has been organised against political policing following the Jobstown arrests on Saturday can be a response in opposition to these attacks.”
AAA councillor Michael O’Brien is a councillor for the area and is involved in the protests said: “This is a disgraceful attack on the right of a community to defend itself through mass peaceful protests against the imposition of austerity.
“The protests have been met with organised violence from the state through the Gardaí. The Gardaí have acted as bully boys on behalf of the government and GMC Sierra through physical attacks and harassment of those who have engaged in the protests.
“These jailings will not deter people from protesting against the installation of water meters and will be met with a firm response by the communities and the anti-water charges movement.”
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Emergency march on Mounjoy prison in solidarity with 5 jailed #WaterCharges campaigners has now grown to 500 - meet them at prison.
March about to arrive at Mountjoy jail #irishwater #Dublin
Courtsey WSM: March leaving Parnell Sq, Protesters knocked on the door of Congress of trade unions demanding a national strike 0 replies 8 retweets 7 favorites
Judge Nolan said that it would be ‘unjust’ to impose prison sentences on the Anglo pair. Judge Gilligan jails 5 IW protesters. The law is an ass.
Thousands are at the emergency water charges protest against Garda repression and the jailing of 5 for protesting within 20m of meter installations.
Many of the speakers are those arrested in the dawn raids of the last two weeks and are getting a great reception from the crowd. We are now marching on Mountjoy prison
Courtsey of WSM
The crowd at the march heard today that two of the anti-water charges protestors have gone on hunger strike.
Meanwhile our bailed out bond holders, bankers and developers are doing just fine and have nothing to worry about.
Ruth Coppinger (Socialist Party) claimed the “Garda Síochána is operating in a political fashion that benefits the Government”, in the arrests over seven days of Tallaght residents.
She said she received a letter from a garda and quoted: “What is really bringing the gardaí into disrepute is not the water charge protesters, but the Government that is using us against them.”
She also quoted: “An Garda Síochána is paying a heavy prices for their role in the introduction of the water tax. We are losing credibility with the ordinary man and woman.”
Ms Coppinger said gardaí and the courts were being used to “defend corporate interests and the establishment . . . in the anti-water charge protests”. There was no other way to describe the policing of communities protesting against the installation of water meters, she said.
Source below
Where we live in an age where the gardai siochana,are used wrongfully to collect revenue for one dominant media operation - RTE. Should we be really that suprised and outraged at the recent water debacle?We have a problem when we have our police, courts & prison service hijacked as tools of coercion to fund one dominant media business - RTE. This is the root problem,its a culture of bullying for revenue for cronies and we have PUT UP WITH IT. Should we blame ourselves?Its absolutely and abomination and disgraceful that someone can be sent to prison for unlicenced TV possession.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/woman-who-failed-t....html
RTE - get plenty of revenue from advertisments,rugby and so on,why do they need extra revenue??To feed the bloated salaries of unimaginitive dinosaur presenters like pat kenny,gaybo or tubs?
This is a chance to tell them we don't want fluoride in the water....
The five jailed anti water charges protestors have been freed. One was released after he apologized to the judge and the other 4 take their case to the High Court and had their sentences suspended following what were termed errors in the committal warrant ordering the protesters’ detention in prison.
One has to ask whether the government gave the nod to allow a mechanism for them to be released while saving face. In other circumstances the judicial system in numerous cases of corruption is not so eager to follow the rules of engagement. For example follow any of the cases documented on Integrity Ireland http://www.integrityireland.ie/
Perhaps the government figured that the longer they were in jail the more the issue would be kept alive and it just might increase support.
Either way their release is good news and no doubt a relief to them all to be out of there.
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