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dublin |
summit mobilisations |
feature
Friday April 30, 2004 22:35
by Chekov
From the Newswire: "After 2 months of media hysteria and hard work on the part of the organisers, the Mayday weekend kicked off with a Critical Mass which was large, vibrant, good humoured and, of course, completely peaceful. Although it's difficult to estimate the numbers of people on cycle-protests, educated guesses from experienced massers ranged from 400 to 700. What's for sure is that it was the biggest critical mass ever to take place in Dublin. It is also certain that it was carried out entirely in a light-hearted atmosphere. Policing was low-key and there were no tensions.
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Jump To Comment: 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of
transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in
heart. -Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999)
......
This isn't rocket science really.
Bicycles don't pollute our air. They don't make noise. Cycling is good for health and hence less of a burden on the health system.
Cycling reduces traffic and makes life easier for people driving cars. Would you prefer every cyclist to be in a car? Cars need roads bikes don't.
You remind me of the drunk asshole who screamed at my girlfriend to "get a car you stupid hippy" on saterday night when we were trying to make our way home....because she was on a bike?!?
The Critical Mass action that kick started the MayDay 2004 holiday events started shortly after 6.00pm on Friday 30th April.
Contrary to what the Gardai seemed to be expecting, the action took off in the direction of Gardiner Row, down North Great Georges Street and onto O'Connell Street via Parnell Street. There was general good humour enjoyed by both the participants and watchers and lots of leaflets were distributed out to the curious passers-by.
Other traffic might have been considered higher than expected on a bank holiday weekend, which traditionally sees Dublin vacated by large numbers of it's residents. The mass hysteria in the mainstream media hadn't scared everyone off the streets of Dublin however, aside from the increased Gardai presence, Dublin looked much the same as always, apart from the addition of various flags and plants (of the green variety) which were rushed in over the last 24 hours to 'pretty up' the city centre.
The Critical Mass action continued across O'Connell Bridge, down D'Olier Street (where one mature gent got a great roar as he peered bewildered out of the first floor of a building. Once he got his glasses on he managed a smile in return) and onto Dame Street (the Castle looked empty), before reaching ChristChuch.
Along the way the chant of 'Who's Streets? Our Streets!' sprang up at various times with lots of fun noise from horns to whistles.
The group veered down from ChristChurch back across the Liffey and along the northern quays back to O'Connell Street. As it reached the G.P.O., half-way down the street, there was a moment to savour the action as various chants and cheering broke-out. After a short pause, the group continued the journey up O'Connell Street, onto Parnell Square and towards Phibsboro before sneaking right in the direction of MountJoy Prison to show solidarity with fellow protesters held there.
More photos from 30th April
great job keep up the work wicked pics and vid clips give the irish police hell on my behalf (laugh) we will tech them to waste tax money on pointless demos
Sue says:-
Ireland has the most fertilizer in the new bigger than USA and Japan together Super Duper it's not a State, Union of 450,000,000 people who let us not forget mostly hate the YANK!
with approx 450kg per km squared, the Irish lead the Union in homemade explosive capability!
Cool.
Having enlarged and analysed these photographs for headcount, there's nowhere near 700 people. It's below 500. Even so, if you do the match, say each cyclist had to pay 100 Euro for a license, then that's 50,000 Euro which would meet the greater part of keeping a criminal behind bars for a year or pay an MEP's expenses. Instead, everyone else has to carry the burden.
Good question indeed, the streets belong to the tax-paying citizens of this nation, including you luminous friends. As a firm believer in the Capitalist system How dare a bunch of layabout hippies claim something they have abslolutely no rights to ? You people really make me laugh
The Legion of Mary are a bigger threat than this lot. Critical Mass, me hole. Personally, I don't see why cyclists shouldn't pay a licence fee like car drivers since they're using the same highways. Oh, right, yeah. Forgot. Cyclists don't have to obey the rules of the road, do they.
Am used to watching Free State cops since infant and they are very wierd this week. Walked up O'Connell Street and amazing to see amount of them waiting for few hundred people on bicycles. Unfortunately as one other post indicated, the hysteria has gotten to some dimmer people who have been taken in by all the shit about anarchists.
But take heart - republicans were beaten off the streets - and worse - for many many years and we're still about.
Keep it up!!
A crowd of 400 hardly justifies the term 'mass'. There are 1.5million people in Dublin and a crowd of 400 works out at exactly the same proportion as it would be if the Ennis critical mass rally attracted a crowd of 2, yes 2. In Ireland, you'd get a bigger crowd at the opening of a telephone box than what you got in Dublin tonight.
.
about 5.50pm @ garden of rememberance
a few mins before setting off
getting the hang of this picture ting :-)
pirate mass
letting ambulances through the mass
peace mass
Short mpg video clip of the critical mass about to cross the Liffey from O'Connell Street this afternoon.
"Whose Streets? Our Streets!"
37 secs
824KB
640x480
(low quality)
mono 32kbps
eu_critmass_dublin_maydayfestival04
Download: eu_critmass_dublin_maydayfestival04 0.8 Mb
Hundreds of people left the meet up point at around 6pm to take a tour around the main areas of central Dublin, around the castle, up and down O'Connell Street and some continuing to Mountjoy Prison where two uk people are still being held.
nb: Having a nightmare getting the pictures to the right dimensions and size for indy ie to accept them being published - so they're up on imcuk:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/04/290206.html
A noisy celebratory protest, the mass grew as it passed through the streets with more and more people joining it along the way.
There must have been at least 400 - 500, probably more towards the end.
Last report said a couple of hundred had continued up to Mountjoy Prison.
There was a good reception from many in the centre of Dublin, and of course the expected shouts of "Get a Job!".
Lots of chanting "Whose Streets - Our Streets" and a general atmosphere of fun. While there was a much increased police presence in the centre of town today, the policing of the Critical Mass was pretty chill, confined to just following the people as they snaked their way through the city with lots of people on foot as well, and loads of flyers handed out.
Happy Birthday Critical Mass!!
ps reports from London speak of 1,500 people out on the streets and samba on wheels ;)
good start
Excellent turn out for critical mass
OK reporting at second hand from several people at the event. About 5-700 people at this evening's critical mass. Uneventful up to when I last heard (about 7.30 pm) - very heavy police presence in Dublin generally and accompanied by cops on bikes - hopefully more news to follow soon.
It appears the scare tactics are FAILING
FPAHTK