Bin Tax - Day of Action

dublin | bin tax / household tax / water tax | news report Tuesday October 14, 2003 11:10 by Paul - Finglas Anti Bin Tax Campaign

Collins Avenue depot report

I arrived at the the depot at about 7.10am and already there was a crowd of about twenty five. People from Finglas,Ballymun, Raheny and East Wall that I knew of. Some people had been there since 6.45. Only two trucks had managed to leave the depot. All was fairly calm. There was no sign of the guards. It seemed that there would just be a bit of stand off and a kind of wait and see. The most annoying thing for me and some of the people from Finglas was those who still were engaging in the 'meet and greet' particularly when they were doing it to some of the supervisors who had been on the ground for the blockade for which 9 locals are in prison. But at least there wasn't any newspaper selling.

A couple of trucks had come to the front of the blockade and then returned back in. Just before eight a van came to the gate and the driver started blasting his horn and revving the engine like mad. As there was no intention to block him I and others felt that he was having a laugh. That was until he came flying out at the crowd. His intention was to keep on driving. Most people moved away but some came over to bang on his window and ask him what he was at. He lashed out at one older man and put his foot to the floor. Joe Mooney (stand in PRO for the city campaign) found himself holding on to the front. The driver carried on regardless going through a red light and out onto the main road in front of DCU. He proceeded to drive at a fast speed up the road until Joe lost grip. Those with me thought they saw Joe go under the van. The driver continued on up the road and away.

People rushed to Joe's assistance. All of the blockaders were gobsmacked. An ambulance arrived and Joe was taken to hospital. I'm not sure how he is. All I can say is that he was on the phone to his partner, letting her know how he was. He was complaining of a pain in the base of his spine and to his leg. Some of the workers had seen what happened and knew who the driver was. He didn't even work for refuse collection. He worked in the housing secton. The workers were disgusted and went into meetings to discuss their response. Nearly all are supportive of the campaign but are feeling intense pressure from their management and unfortunately from some sections of their unions.

News also reached us of trouble at Rathmines, trucks having already been moved out of the Grangegorman depot and of a walkout and/or layoffs at the Ballymount depot in Dublin South. Can anybody confirm any of these?

I just received a call that the police have moved into Collins and are proceeding to take names. And the name taking is not to do with witnesses for the accident but to enforce the injunction.

It's becoming clearer its one law for the rich and one for the rest of us.
The union leadership has to decide which side its on.