BLAGAROON

PHOTO: FFML


THOUSANDS MARCH IN
DUBLIN PROTEST

Several thousand protesters marched to the gates of Dáil Éireann in Dublin last night where speakers on the platform in Molesworth Street condemned Government policy of Bank bail-outs and deliberate impoverishment of wage workers with cutback in wages and pensions and in vital public services such as health and education all to pay for the shameless delinquency of the banking and property speculator class who have crashed the Irish economy with their reckless gambling.

When some of the crowd tried to enter the front precinct of Leinster House some of the few Gardaí on duty drew batons and attacked the crowd in front of the gate injuring several men and women. Only strong appeals from the platform speakers restored calm and prevented a serious outbreak of violence. There was no aggression from the crowd, the gates of Leinster House were open and people were entitled to enter and demand to see public representatives inside. The police had advance warning of the proposed march from over a week ago and if they did not want anyone entering they could well have closed the gates before the protest arrived. Some questions arise, therefore, from the behaviour of the police. Was there intention to provoke trouble and try to discredit the protest? If they were so concerned about security why did they leave the gates open as several thousand marchers approached slowly up Molesworth Street? The presence of one police inspector who is known to produce a baton with alacrity on previous occasions here is significant.

TV coverage of the demonstration was broadcast live on Sky News and later on Irish TV3 channel but, was ignored by Irish national public broadcaster RTÉ. However, RTÉ radio news bulletins today carried a story stating that Gardaí were “investigating” the incident where “IOO protesters tried to gain access to the Dáil premises from a crowd of 500”. This is an outrageous lie; no more than 20 people tried to enter the open gates to talk to TD’s inside. The crowd in Molesworth Street numbered more than 2000 at that stage. This is typical of the editorial bias in RTÉ against any political dissent since the beginning of the economic crisis last year. What will they say next week if 20,000 people turn up?

With anger mounting in the country as the affects of the first round of cutbacks bites hard there will be increasing levels of protest throughout the state, not just in Dublin, and this rotten Government should realise its days are numbered and resign and call an early election. The people are quite clear in their demands; "We will not wait, we want elections now, we will not pay for Banker bail-outs"

FearFeasa Mac Léinn

Áth Cliath/DUBLIN, 12 Bealtaine/May, 2010.