Over 50,000 on March against IMF cuts and Bailout in Dublin on Sat Nov 27th
national |
anti-capitalism |
news report 
Saturday November 27, 2010 20:56
by Eye witness
Report on the protest against IMF/EU cuts and FF who have helped ruin the economy
There was a huge turnout on the march today to protest against the IMF/EU Cuts FF Government despite the freezing weather.
A huge mass of people had assembled at Wood Quay for 12 noon and it was a sea of flags, banner and placards and it took at least half an hour possibly more for the full procession of people to pass. Many were blowing whistles and a few banging pots and pans in recognition of the IMF Argentina crisis back in 2001. The march stretched all the way back along the North side of the quays to O'Donovan Rossa bridge connecting Winetavern St beside Wood Quay to Ormonde Quay.
By the time this author got to O'Connell St circa 1.30pm, the speeches were already underway outside the GPO and the crowd filled the Street all the way back to the bridge. There were groups representing all of the Left political parties and grouping, many unions and numerous other groups and organisation. As is the norm, may individual placards showed they were way ahead of the offical ICTU union stance, with a general theme of make the bondholders pay or clearly identifying the preying nature of the IMF on this country.
There seemed to be complete and utter disgust at Fianna Fail in general and widespread recognition that Biffo and his gang were incompetent and against the interests of the people. A few placards didn't forget the previous muppet in power, Bertie Ahern who presided over much of the crazy years of the boom.
THe ICTU had a number of speakers and when David Begg got up to speak, there were very audible jeers and boos with shouts of ‘Get off’ (the stage). Obviously many in the public were confused by this because they would have seen him as one of the key union ‘leaders’ who organized the march and they would have been unaware of the discussion and debate amongst the Left, where there seems to be a widespread recognition that the unions are not working against the government but with it to manage the protest and resistance to the budget. In other words they have effectively be co-opted by the state so that no real challenge other than token challenges are made to the status quo. After all they were not calling for a general strike, just for fairer cuts spread out more, when it is clear we shouldn’t even be paying for them at all.
A little while later, there were chants for "General Strike" as people can clearly see that nothing will change this governments mind about ripping off Ireland for the bankers and bondholders, more than a general strike would make them sit up and pay attention.
David Begg was then followed by three or four other speakers; one a pensioner describing what the current conditions are like for pensioners, another an apprentice plumber who lost his job before completing his apprenticeship and a few others, including Francis Black who sang a song where the lyrics pointed how what is illegal and what is legal in this country –like its perfectly legal to rip off people.
By 2:30pm the event was largely over and the crowd dispersed. Its hard to know how many felt coming away from this as to whether they had achieved anything.
