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Attacks on working people are mounting right across Europe. The so-called PIGS (Portugal, Ireland & Italy, Greece, Spain) countries have been to the forefront of these attacks. In Ireland, we have seen €7 billion of cutbacks, seriously damaging public services, including health and education. In Greece, there has been a 10% cut in wages and spending in the public sector, together with an increased retirement age, VAT increases and the freezing of pensions. Portugal has a plan to cut its deficit by €11bn over four years through a crisis tax on wages and cutbacks in public services. The Spanish Parliament has passed cutbacks worth €15bn on top of €50bn already agreed. Italy is due to implement "emergency-cutbacks" of €24 bn.
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Today family, friends and supporters welcomed home the five Irish MV Rachel Corrie passengers who were this morning deported from Israel. The five – Denis Halliday, Mairead Maguire, Fiona Thompson, Derek Graham and Jenny Graham – were greeted in Dublin airport by cheers and hugs from the assembled crowd who were there to salute their bravery, as well as a large media presence. read full story / add a comment

At least 9 international human rights activists have been killed and dozens more injured after Israeli commandos attacked the unarmed Gaza Freedom Flotilla early this morning in international waters, according to reports from the flotilla organisers, while Israeli military sources confirmed at least 9 dead. This attack is a clear breach of international law. read full story / add a comment

Two thousand took to the street to protest at the bank bailout. read full story / add a comment

As once again Cork's mainstream trade unions declined to publicly celebrate the everlasting memorial day to working peoples' struggles worldwide, it falls to Solidarity Books/Workers Solidarity Movement Cork Branch and the Independent Workers Union to mark this most important of days. A day of public talks and a community meal was organised by the local branch of the WSM at Solidarity Books, which complemented excellently the annual May Day march through the city streets this evening organised as usual by the Independent Workers Union. read full story / add a comment

Not really sure where to post this—just got thinking about repression and state power etc. and thought I would share some observations on the subject with whoever’s interested. Yes, it ended up being more of an essay than a post but what the hell—feels good to get it off my chest. read full story / add a comment

Thousands turned out for a rally of solidarity and love in memory of Toyosi Shitta-bey who tragically lost his life in Tyrellstown, West Dublin on Friday 2nd April. read full story / add a comment

One thousand pairs of children’s shoes of all sizes were tied to the railings outside the cathedral representing the victims of Roman Catholic abuse. Some passers by stopped to tie shoes. Many abuse survivors and supporters came together from as far as Cork and Wexford to attend the protest. read full story / add a comment

Around the time of the visit of Shell’s pipe-laying ship the Solitaire in June it became clear that the Gardai had been told that they could do anything to remove Shell to Sea campaigners from the scene and they would be looked after. Rulings from the district court, in particular the denial of bail to 7 campaigners charged with the most minor of public order offences removed people with vital water skills from the area by interning them in Mountjoy and Castlerea prisons. Local fisherman Pat O’Donnell had one of his boat sunk from under him when four masked men boarded the boat in the middle of the night and held Pat and the other crew member at gun point while they sabotaged the boat leading to its sinking. When Pat took to sea in another boat as the Solitaire arrived he was arrested under the Public Order Act for loitering and once more sent to prison leaving the way clear for the Solitaire. read full story / add a comment

This week as it was revealed in the Irish Times that 20 months after entering into a legal agreement with local fishermen Shell has still not submitted an application as required to the Environmental Protection Agency to review the emissions licence for the experimental gas pipeline it is imposing on the people of Erris. Yet this week 27 Shell to Sea campaigners are being prosecuted on behalf of Shell in the local courts and today one of them received three five month sentences. read full story / add a comment

A 'miracle' of grassroots community organising happened yesterday – the community of Douglas Street, Cork came together and hosted an incredible diverse and immensely satisfying celebration of International Women's Day! read full story / add a comment

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) is calling on the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs to clarify the latitude and legal standing accorded to foreign embassy security personnel in Ireland.

This follows the harassment yesterday (8 March) - on a public street in Dublin - of a leading Irish Palestine solidarity activist by a member of the Israeli embassy security team.

Dr David Landy, chairperson of the IPSC, described what occurred as “an outrageous breach of protocol” and “very sinister.” Furthermore, he called on the relevant government departments “to seek an immediate explanation and apology from the Israeli ambassador.” read full story / add a comment

100 cars gathered today at noon in the fishing village of Porturlin, Pat O'Donnell's home, for a rally to Ballyglass pier on the Mullet peninsula in support of 'the Chief' who has been in Castlerea prison since 10th February.

The cavalcade travelled from Porturlin, out by Rossport, over to Glengad, up by Bellanaboy, into Belmullet and out to Ballyglass pier. read full story / add a comment

Yesterday in Castlebar circuit court, appeals involving Shell to Sea campaigners were concluded or deferred, with no further prison sentences being handed out. This follows the jailing on Wednesday of local fisherman Pat O’Donnell, who was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of “breach of the peace” and of "obstructing a Garda".

In total 21 people appeared before Mayo courts this week in relation to protests against the Corrib Gas Project. On Wednesday all fourteen campaigners who appeared before Belmullet district court had their cases adjourned until the special Shell to Sea sitting scheduled for March. From Tuesday to Thursday seven campaigners were involved in appeal cases before Judge Raymond Groarke in Castlebar Circuit Court. read full story / add a comment

From Wednesday the 27th to Sunday the 31st of January, the Rossport Solidarity Camp hosted a wind power workshop. Local people and campers united to learn metal work, wood work and electronics to produce a fully functional 2.4 meter diameter wind turbine, now supplying power to the off-grid Rossport Solidarity House. The use of farmer's shed for the week was kindly by donated which was the perfect base for the workshop. The course was led by V3 Power, a workers co-operative based in Nottingham specialising in teaching courses in how to build DIY wind turbines.

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On January 28th, we had the chance to have a telephone talk with Camilla Chalmers, from the Plateforme Haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif (Haitian Platform in Defence of an Alternative Development, PAPDA), in Port-au-Prince. Here we transcribe the questions and answers we could exchange in spite of the natural difficulties of communication in these circumstances. We believe his opinions represent a contribution to understand what’s really going on in Haiti, they contradict the official version of the media and give us a very precise notion of the type of solidarity that the Haitian people need –and that we should not fail to give.

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In January 2009 Independent Newspapers, in the face of mounting criticism of its commercial exploitation of children, withdrew its 'Building for the future campaign. read full story / add a comment

On Saturday 30th January Auschwitz survivor Dr. Hajo Meyer, Dr. Haidar Eid of the Islamic University in Gaza and Sara Kershnar of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) addressed a standing room only crowd of over 140 people in the Central Hotel in Dublin. The public meeting, entitled “The Misuse of the Holocaust for Political Purposes”, was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) as part of a high profile speaking tour hosted by IJAN and the Scottish PSC. read full story / add a comment

Irish primary schools celebrated a victory this week as Independent Newspapers abandoned their “Building for the Future” scheme just weeks after its high-profile launch.

It is the first time a major in-school marketing promotion has been scrapped and is an embarrassing climb down for Independent and their co-sponsors Bank of Ireland.

The launch of “Building for the Future”, which demanded a quota of 20 tokens per pupil from schools wishing to enter, was met with condemnation from across the teaching community. read full story / add a comment