DCC Pulls Poster Ban - For Now...

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Tuesday December 05, 2006 00:01

by Seán Ryan and Elaine

A Protest first and then we adjourn into the inner sanctum of City Hall for the meeting itself.

Joan Collins and assorted trouble makers

There was a small demo tonight outside City Hall. Seven of us gathered in the rain to greet elected officials, as they entered City Hall to vote on re-installing the ban on the posting of public notices, amongst other things.

Flyers were handed out, as activists informed passers-by about Dublin City Council’s plans to ban free speech and the freedom of association.

Elected officials for the most part snuck into, or rather, attempted to sneak into the building, without being confronted by angry activists. Some Councillors however, were in favour of retaining the rights bestowed by the Constitution and stopped for a chat and photos.

Us two reporters/activists managed to attend the meeting itself.

When the issue of the poster ban arose, Pascal Mooney, who chaired the committee that brought this diabolical motion to the table, was allowed to speak first. It seems that this motion was not too well received (poor Pascal). Pascal told all those assembled that the Protocol was back on the Drawing table and would be re-visited next February. The Motion to vote on re-instituting the Poster Ban itself was withdrawn.

Dermot Lacey calling a point of order, asked that all Councillors be mailed as to when the next meeting to do with this issue would be held. He said that lots of Councillors were unaware of when these meetings were taking place and put it down to Councillors not being mailed.

We know – because we asked – that lots of Councillors wanted to speak on this issue and that they were going to tear it to shreads and were going to tear seven kinds of shite out of those who wished to implement it. Dermot Lacey was one of them.

Many thanks to Joan Collins, the independent Councillor, who has taken a very firm stance on this issue from the start, despite some of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune tossed at her by, tossers of such things.

Regards also to the other activists who turned up – we had a ball – and the enemy scurried back to that dark place, to lick its wounds.