Budget Day drama on Kildare Street
national |
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news report
Tuesday December 07, 2010 16:54
by WH
Rossport Solidarity Camp and Shell to Sea campaigners were out in numbers on a media-thronged Kildare Street in Dublin this morning in advance of Brian Lenihan’s presentation of the Budget for 2011.
Gerry Adams interviewed by Fox Business TV
The front gates of Leinster House were largely obscured by giant banners highlighting what campaigners call the “giveaway” of €540 billion worth of Irish natural resources. Aside from the 50-strong international media presence and 30-odd Gardai, the remaining numbers before lunchtime were made up mostly by Rossport locals and their supporters from around the country.
Just after midday, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams emerged from Leinster House to give his first media briefing since announcing his intention to contest the next general election in Louth. Campaigners from Mayo moved with remarkable speed to manoeuvre one of the banners into place behind Adams and his Sinn Féin colleagues.
Minutes later a long banner was dropped from the roof of Buswells Hotel, facing Leinster House. The banner, which highlighted the relative size of Ireland’s offshore oil and gas and the IMF/EU bailout (€540 billion versus €85 billion), remained in place for almost half an hour. When it was removed, campaigners managed to reclaim it.
Earlier, Shell to Sea campaigners staged a brief street theatre spectacle. Brian Lenihan - his words spoken by an actor in a mask - announced a giveaway Budget made possible by the renegotiation of Ireland’s notoriously generous oil and gas licensing terms.
In the early morning, a man had parked a cherry-picker crane on Kildare St, with the crane extended, holding the man high above the railings of Leinster House. The man remained in the box for over an hour before he came down and was arrested. The cherry-picker wasn’t removed until after 2pm.
Finally, the following was overheard outside Leinster House. A Garda talking to a US cameraman: “You see, people in Ireland are more interested in X-Factor than protesting. I was looking at my Facebook this morning and people were saying, ‘That guy with the cherry-picker is great, I must go down and support him.’ But nobody came down here.”
Gerry Adams speaks to a large media scrum
Brian Lenihan taking back money gifted to oil companies as part of his alternative Budget
Press photographers choreograph the actor playing Brian Lenihan
Banner dropped from roof of Buswells Hotel
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Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8The Garda referred to in last paragraph was NOT speaking to camera. He was just chatting to a photographer.
Heres that interview with Gerry Adams on Fox news -
Sinn Fein's Adams: Gov't Deepening Recession: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams on transitioning from politics in Northern Ireland to politics in the Republic of Ireland.
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4450528/sinn-feins-adams...sion/
Budget day -trailer , a clip from tonights protests .A short onterveiw with Gerry Adams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlbjN-qiUOU
Fine Gael finance spokesman Michael Noonan said the Budget was the product of “a puppet Government who are doing what they have been told to do by the IMF, the EU Commission and the European Central Bank”.
Most exactly, 100% correct, I'd say to that particular comment.
Which contrasts very sharply with the ever-growing, outrageous and pernicious lies contained in Finance Minister Mr Lenihan's budget comment of yesterday: “Today’s Budget is our first step in ensuring that we can get back firmly on our own feet.”
The above quotes are from: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/1208....html
The sooner the people of the Republic of Ireland have Mr Lenihan and all those who voted in favour of his insidious budget removed from public office, the better (it seems to me): provided of course that the people of the Republic of Ireland take the time and trouble to look for, and find, public office replacements who have what it takes to serve the whole of our society in open, honest, and caring ways.
Basically, it seems to me that we in the Republic of Ireland now desperately need lots of good quality "public servants" who are willing and happy to serve our sovereign and independent nation state, and all of its people; and, who will replace our red-rotten-with-corruption and arrogance "ruling elite" style government, and all of their "insider dealings" with the insiders of the "invisible global government" (i.e. the de facto global monarchy), that is being run by the red-rotten-with-corruption and arrogance privately owned global banking cartel, and which is being fronted (in part) by the IMF (International Monitory Fund).
Very brave of a FG shadow minister to talk about a puppet government; but when his party forms a coalition don't expect it to 'defy' the IMF and ECB by dismantling the effects of this budget. FG reps are of a more conservative, stingy cost cutting mould than the profligate FF party. Labour in coalition will play musical chairs with some cuts, but will not attempt to change the rules of the game. The low income groups will continue to endure hardship long after the February election. Don't be codded by the 'fighting words' and crypto-compassionate stances of opposition speakers.
Last night was very, very disappointing.
Symbolic actions do carry weight. People do remember them. They may not achieve much in the long run but they provide inspiration to others and oxygen through publicity to a cause. A good recent example of this is the students actions in London (smashing windows and small occupations of college offices may not stop the fee increase, but they attract attention to opposition to the measure, and encourage others to do the same or similar), or the UK Uncut protestors (shutting down TopShop for an hour might not get Philip Green to pay his tax immediately, but it shines a light on "1%" tax evasion).
I'm not going to attach any more (or any less) importance to them than mass actions, but if the radicals of this city arent willing to step out of their comfort zone with some sort of confrontation (however futile or pointless the elders of the revolutionary groups consider it), then how do they expect other people to do the same with their situations? Calling for a general strike is fine - actually organising it and for non "activists" leaving your income source in the middle of a recession isnt exactly something you do at the drop of a hat.
I'm not in favour of vanguardism either, but if you talk the talk, sometimes you have to walk the walk.
You might fail at the first hurdle, but who knows, you might get picked up and win the race in the end.
1916's signatories knew they were on to a loser from the start but they were tired of the unending talk and "peaceful" avenues.
Anyway. IMF controlled budget passed with minimum of popular or even activist militant resistance.
Next step: ten years of recession, combined with emigration of young people. So be it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xshayx/sets/72157625426957007
red eric's suggestion may be responsible for the "technical problems" in Bank of Irelands system. Gee we have a "deposit only" technical error followed by a "limited withdrawal at the ATMs" technical problem. I guess the bankster scum follow football!!
Instead of marching around politely in the cold, just we could have another day like cantona suggested only more co-ordinated and for real.
Also, we could each all agree to access certain internet sites a whole bunch of times in succession at a certain moment in time, as wikileaks supporters have done with mastercard and keep doing this over a period of time until we get a response.
We CAN use the internet to protest the banksters. Not by making comments but by boycotting and protesting profitable websites of those who brought this situation about
All these people care about is money so thats the only place to influence them. Eric was right. Lets learn from him