Why Anarchafeminism?
A women-only discussion hosted by RAG

RAG, the Revolutionary Anarchafeminist Group is now in its third year. The collective was set up in order to explore our ideas and produce a magazine, the Rag. Meetings are held weekly on Mondays, but the first Monday of every month is an open meeting, in which non-members are invited to a workshop or discussion.

On Monday 7th April, the open meeting was entitled “Why Anarchafeminism?” The purpose of the meeting was to encourage women outside of RAG to question and explore their ideas about feminism and anarchism and to draw links between the two. Also, it gave members of the group a chance to revisit the fundamental aspects of our beliefs. The following is a personal account by two of us of the discussion. It is limited by the quality of our notes and recollections. It does not present a RAG position on anything, but is simply an attempt to share some of the ideas that were touched upon with those who were unable to attend.

Related Links: Rag's Blog Feminist Gathering Fundraiser

Dublin's much loved Moore St. market, one of the most organically diverse, culturally & historically layered streets remaining in Dublin city centre is under serious threat of extinction from a €500 million multi-story commercial development. Plans are soon due to be fully unveiled to the public.

Take a walk along Moore Street and one will notice the disappearance of the many ethnic businesses which have enlivened the street over the past several years having recently been served eviction notices. The beginning of a process which may eradicate and at best sterilise the Moore Street market.

The developer behind the Dundrum shopping centre has in the past few years bought most of the property in an area encompassing Henry Street to Parnell Street in the north/south direction and O'Connell Street to Moore Street in the east/west direction. Most of the buildings are to be demolished to make way for a glorified shopping centre to include two canopied multi-storey shopping streets.

Related Links: Public Meeting - Save Moore St | Save 16 Moore St | Victory for 16 Moore St. Campaign | Alive Alive O- moore street screening | James Connolly's Grandson In Fresh Call To Save 16 Moore Street| Through streets broad & narrow: crying five for 50, and ten for a pound. The end of Moore Street?

So why doesn't Shell have a big banner outside their office announcing that they are making record profits? Why don't they issue a press release saying that they are doing better than ever, and things are improving for their shareholders like never before? Why aren't they celebrating?

On February 1st, Shell to Sea protesters in Dublin drew attention to just how much Shell are making by asking passers-by to calculate how long it would take for them to earn what Shell made last year.

Shell's profits don't include the amount of oil and gas reserves they own, or the huge amount of equipment and buildings they are leasing or that they own. This is money that they have after they have paid all the bills (although not the security costs at Bellanaboy- the taxpayer pays that), and everyone's salary. This is pure profit for their shareholders.

This year's figure - €20,000,000,000 - is deceptive because it hides the fact that the dollar is weak at the moment, and energy has to be traded in dollars (Saddam Hussein started to sell oil in euros a few years ago, and look what happened to him). Profits are way up this year.

The company never had it so good.

Related Links: Galway solidarity protest with Rossport   |   Vigil for Shell victims in Belfast   |   Shell to Sea banner display at Patrick's Bridge, Cork

An ongoing dispute between members of the Building and Allied Trades Union (BATU) and Collen Brothers construction which has led to the jailing of three workers now appears to be escalating into a major dispute between workers and the company. Today (Feb 21st 2006) a picket at one of Collen's sites at University College Dublin (UCD) Belfield managed to halt work despite the presence of 60 hostile Gardai.

Despite the actions of the Gardai, which involved an early arrest of a picketeer and the construction of roadblocks in order to attempt to impede people joining the picket, there was no damage or trouble. A succesful blockade of the site was undertaken with the assistance of UCD Student Union. The Student Union had earlier passed a resolution supporting the 3 jailed bricklayers.

Although instinctive sympathies run high in support of the men, there are some questions over whether the demand for "local labour" as opposed to "union only" is diverting the campaign into a xenophobic dead-end. This could be a significant misstep in maintaining public sympathy and the sympathy of the broader labour movement.

Update: Feb22 Garda/Collen actions condemned. Feb23 picket continues

:-) .:.-) @-) +-) €-) $-) %-) maith an rts! & tell me you auld fellahs and auld wans, did yiz think the day would come when a pirate flag would fly in Dublin, and your james connolly would be hooded, and your sean o'casey would have a bridge and the civic guards would be on bikes watching the kids scrawling in crayon on the wall?

Welcome to the XXI century

Related Link: James Connolly Internet Archive
Related Story: May Day Speech: Joe Higgins' Challenge to Irish Trade Unions