National - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Rally for a NO Vote - Sat June 7, EU Offices, Dawson St.

national | eu | event notice

Monday June 02, 2008 16:34

by Darren C

offensieftegenracisme at yahoo dot co dot uk

2pm - Saturday 7 June

EU Offices,
Dawson St.,
Dublin 2

ALL WELCOME!

Republican and Socialist youth activists invite you to a rally on Saturday June 7th, on the steps of the EU offices on Dawson St., against the Lisbon Treaty that is virtually identical to the proposed EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The treaty, if ratified, would consolidate and centralise the power of unelected EU institutions, further the militarisation of Europe and advance its neo-colonialist ambitions, and hasten the privatisation of Europe’s public services.

Defend Workers & Migrants’ Rights!

Conflicts between employers and workers will be ruled on by a strengthened European Court of Justice. The European Trade Union Confederation has described several recent ECJ rulings as an “open invitation to social dumping”, launching a race to the bottom for workers’ wages, conditions and rights. Recent ECJ rulings, like the cases of Viking and Laval, in effect limit the effectiveness of trade unions in defending their members’ interests and taking collective action. These cases are redolent of the Irish Ferries dispute in 2005 and a YES vote would further pave the way for a race to the bottom.

Against EU Militarisation!

Irish troops are currently participating in a French-dominated EU intervention into the conflict in Chad. The Irish establishment parties, including Labour and the Greens, are trying to sell the military intervention as a “humanitarian assistance action”. In reality, the EU is aiming to consolidate their influence in Chad which exports bigger quantities of oil and uranium since 2003. The Lisbon Treaty would facilitate more controversial EU military activity of this kind, since the militarily dominant states are former colonial powers. The treaty also stipulates that “all member states shall undertake to progressively improve their military capabilities”. Increased military spending is a requirement of the treaty, unlike health or education.

Resist Privatisation!

Competition is one of the EU’s organising principles and is the framework for all other policies. Since the 1980s the EU has also moved to restructure essential public services such as water and sanitation, public transport, energy, post and telecoms as private businesses. In 1999, for example, the European Parliament passed the water directive, which is responsible for our schools being charged for drinking water this year. This is liberalisation in practice. And now, health, education and social care systems are in focus as competition law prohibits state aids (subsidies) to industries or services “which distort or threaten to distort competition” (Art 87 TFEU). Neo-liberalism has become the dominant paradigm in the EU over the past 15 years and it's pushed further by this renamed constitution.

It’s in the interests of all the working people of Europe for the NO vote to win in the upcoming referendum. When we vote on this treaty we vote not just for ourselves, but also for others in Europe who are denied a vote. The first step to building an alternative and a concerted resistance across Europe against the EU’s neo-liberal project is to reject the Lisbon Treaty. There will be an open mic (within reason) provided and participants are encouraged to bring banners, flags and noise. See you on the 7th!

Contact Darren for details: 0861943837

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Comments (5 of 5)

by Vote NO!

Fri Jun 06, 2008 17:14

Defend Worker & Migrant Rights! Against EU Militarisation! Resist Privatisation!
A group of young republicans and socialists will be holding a demonstration outside the EU offices on Dawson Street, on this coming Saturday at 2pm. The event, jointly organised by Ógra Shinn Féin and the Connolly Youth Movement, is directed at progressive political youth groups who are opposing the upcoming Lisbon Treaty.
The jointly organised demonstration will be focussing on three distinct areas which will directly affect young people in the years ahead. These areas are: defending workers’ and migrants’ rights, opposing militerisation and resisting privatisation.

The group will also be encouraging young people to come out, and exercise their right to vote in this referendum.

A spokesperson from the group said:
“We have organised this demonstration to call upon the young people of Ireland to vote no to the Lisbon Treaty. It is a bad deal for Ireland and a bad deal for Europe.

“We are focussing on 3 distinct areas which we see as directly affecting young people in the years ahead. These are defending workers’ and migrants’ rights, opposing militerisation and resisting privatisation.

“We see the biggest reason to vote no to the treaty is that it gives the EU too much power – we are giving up too much and getting little in return.

“We are calling on all young people to come out and exercise their democratic right to vote and vote against this hugely flawed treaty. As young people it will be our generation who will be most affected by the contents of this treaty.

“Anyone interested in joining us can do so at 2pm at the EU offices on Dawson Street”.

Mandates

by Soundmigration - Per Cap

Fri Jun 06, 2008 15:15

"f anyone reads the UN mandate for the mission they will see it is entirely for peaceful and humanitarian purposes."

I'm pretty sure no UN mandates included the sexual abuse and rape of women and children, though that didn't stop French and Belgium troops doing exactly that. Im sure the victims of their violence might have a very different, more realistic and less wooly belief in many of the UN's Armed Humanitarian Actions.

The UN does exactly what its set up for, even thought that goes against the attempt of smaller countries to make it a more 'democratic and representative' institution.

For a look at Irelands imperial adventures in Chad check out

http://www.wsm.ie/news_viewer/3677

Wretched people , Sceptic?

by Sean

Fri Jun 06, 2008 09:15

Like the Serbian Kosovars they bombed from 40,000 feet while 'protecting' them? Like the poor Chadians whose resources France is using Irish troops to lay claim to? Like the Somalians that their friends the US machine-gunned, or maybe the wretched Iraqis who had a bad and brutal leader but now have a civil war which is claiming many more lives?

Don't invoke ETUC without checking its postion

by Sceptic

Wed Jun 04, 2008 12:41

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is SUPPORTING the Lisbon Treaty. Its name was invoked in this thread by an opponent of the Treaty.

Migrant rights: Apart from students most migrants are in Ireland in the first place due to the EU either under free movement of persons provisions or under the Dublin Convention on asylum. They also enjoy substantial legal protection under European law including provisions on non-discrimination and due process. It is absurd to be demonstrating outside the EU offices on a platform of migrant rights. It is OPPONENTS of migration that should logically be opposed to the EU.

“In reality, the EU is aiming to consolidate their influence in Chad which exports bigger quantities of oil and uranium since 2003.” – Darren C : Far from being reality this is a groundless conflation of two entirely different things and as such is poorly argued or not argued at all. If anyone reads the UN mandate for the mission they will see it is entirely for peaceful and humanitarian purposes. If you object to every possible use of military forces on UN mandate for humanitarian purposes because of some spurious commercial interest argument, the wretched people who actually need their help won't get it. Not that you seem to care abut them.

The Poster For The Demo

by Nikita - CYM

Mon Jun 02, 2008 17:58

See below for the poster.

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Rally for a NO Vote - Sat June 7, EU Offices, Dawson St.

Comments (5 of 5)