Over 100 separate local demonstrations took place today (Sat Nov 1st) against the Water Charges and for the Right 2 Water. Organisers estimate conservatively that over 150,000 were out on the streets today to send a message to this government that they won't accept paying for water twice and having it privatised later.

People realize that all the false promises and allowances will eventually be dropped and the long term result will be that a privatised water company will prey on the people with massive hikes in charges and big fat bonuses for themselves.

There were protests from Cork & Kerry to Wexford to Dublin to Limerick to Galway to Sligo to Donegal to Cavan to Dundalk and all over the Midlands. There has never been anything like it perhaps since the foundation of the state. The people are truly fed up and are determined and will not be abused by the political technocrats of big Capital that is robbing every social gain our forebears fought hard to get over the past century.

Related Links: Water Charge FAQ - your questions answered | Right2Water National Day of Local Protests - Sat Nov 1st | Right2Water National Protest against Water charges - Sat Oct 11th @ 2pm | No-one will be safe from water charges if we don't stand and fight | Why Irish Water Will Be Sold Off | The New Water Barons | Blockades of Water Meter installations in Cork and Dublin | The Irish water debacle: a timeline | http://www.Right2Water.ie/
Other Experiences: Resisting Water Privatisation in Bolivia and Ireland Bolivian Protesters end Water Privatization in La Paz, El Alto

For lots more pictures check each of the various campaign pages from around the country.

Campaign Facebook Pages: Carlow, facebook | Clare, Ennis facebook | Dublin, Blanchardstown, facebook | Dublin, Blanchardstown, facebook | Dublin, Ballyfermot facebook | Dublin, Blanchardstown facebook | Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, facebook | Dublin, Dundrum facebook | Dublin, Ringsend, facebook | Dublin, Tallaght facebook | Fingal, Swords, facebook | Galway, facebook | Kildare, Athy, facebook | Kildare, Celbridge, facebook | Kildare, Leixlip, facebook | Kildare, Naas, facebook | Kildare, Newbridge facebook | Kilkenny, facebook | Louth, Ardee facebook | Louth, Dundalk, facebook | Sligo, facebook | Wexford, New Ross facebook | Wexford, Gorey facebook | Wexford, Wexford Town, facebook | Wicklow, Bray, facebook | Wicklow, Greystones, facebook | Wicklow, Wicklow, facebook | Wicklow, Arklow, facebook

Corruption and incompetence rule in certain corridors of Dublin City Council. Coventa the company which somehow won the tender (despite not being a party to the bidding) and Dublin City Council have pushed the cost up to nearly €100 million for the land. Council Manager Owen Keegan said not one cent of the €96 million that has already been spent will be clawed back if the plan doesn't go ahead. Despite also as extra €36 million in extra costs many Councillors state that this whole thing has nothing to do with mad ideas from Bertie Ahern. Even if it does not go ahead it will still cost €600 million, and obviously this is the best interests of every else abroad who likes to sabotage Irish planning and make a few million doing so. Renewable energy is the future but not for the old school chums of yesteryear.

Related Links: update 02/10/2014: Stop The Poolbeg Incinerator - Protest March To Dail - Weds 22nd Oct |
Poolbeg Incineration the Fallacy of Need | Local Residents Will Continue Campaign Against Poolbeg Incinerator Despite EPA Ruling (2008) | Anti-Dublin Incinerator campaign appeal to attend Oral Hearing | City Council appear sure of incinerator despite challenge by campaigners | Government in Cahoots with incinerator industry | Over three thousand objections to proposed Poolbeg incinerator in Dublin | http://www.CovantaWatch.org/ -Tracks pollution and regulatory violations etc by Covanta
Update: Briefing note to council by Owen Keegan to Council pushing the incinerator

SUMMARY: I arrived in Ennis without pen or notebook to support the action of Margaretta D'Arcy and Niall Farrell who protested on the runway of Shannon against the US military use of the airport. The following is a colour story of happenings on the day relying on memory only. I hope that someone else may provide a fuller report and my apologies for any errors in this report which are entirely my responsibility.

Related Links: Magaretta D'Arcy jailed | Statement from Margaretta D'Arcy on her Release from Mountjoy Prison | FREE Margaretta D'Arcy, US Out Of Shannon / National Demonstration |
From the Archives: DDoS Attack: Website Monitoring Military and CIA Planes through Shannon Shannon, Torture, Troops, and Timebombs | Extraordinary Rendition Through Shannon: Protesters Point Finger At A Government In Denial | Airport Police move swiftly to suppress evidence. Is there a "torture jet" behind that warplane? | Letter from Prison: Shannon airport, civil disobedience and the anti-war movement in Ireland | The Real Nature of the Security around Shannon | Shannon WARport Blockade PICTURES | Three Thousand Protest War in Dublin - Two Protest at Shannon Warport Shannon Blockade Reports | Not Guilty. The Pitstop Ploughshares All Acquitted on All Charges | Another 5 go airside in Ploughshares action at Shannon Airport | Mary Kelly Trial | MASS ANTI-WAR TRESPASS AT SHANNON WARPORT A chronology of arrests etc at Shannon warport

In 2012 public opposition forced the ditching of a plan for a "retirement village" on the side of the Dublin mountains, isolated from services and public transport and cut off by the M50, in an area normally zoned for agriculture and public amenity and widely used by the public. A previous plan for a private school on the site had been rejected for similar reasons in 2005. After the local elections the plan is back in a lightly tweaked form, with the developer's sister among a number of newly elected councillors supporting the project.

Related Links: Selling off the Dublin Mountains | Evening Herald Retirement village plans get shot down -shot down in 2012

The Euro and local council elections take place on Fri May 23rd and nationwide there are 11 MEPs to be elected to represent Ireland Euro elections will also be taking place across Europe for a grand total of 751 seats in the European Parliament. Regrettably the European Commission which is composed of 28 non-elected and appointed commissioners and is besieged by thousands of lobbying firms working for the private sector, is probably reckoned to have more power. Yet despite this Europe matters because at least 70% of our legislation comes from there and practically most of the regulation in a diverse range of areas originates from Europe and some of the more background regulation has its origins with corporate lobbyists with the aim of using heavy regulation to put smaller competitors out of businesses by greatly increasing the relative costs for smaller businesses. The main political parties of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael constantly tell us they are pro business and for jobs and the economy. In fact they are for big business, privatisation, outsourcing of jobs, lower wages, less social safety net and their support of big business and corporations constantly results in the suffocating of small business which are the very areas that lead to most employment.

Candidate Website Links: http://nessachilders.ie/ | http://www.bridsmith.net/ | http://www.paulmurphymep.eu/ | http://www.eamonryan.ie/ | http://www.sinnfein.ie/lynnboylan
Related Links: European Election candidates: An overview | Independents’ Network: an online hub for independent politicians in ireland | PoliticalReform.ie | Parliament or Democracy | Wikipedia: European Parliament | Lobbying the European Commission: Open or Secret? | Irish Political Maps | ElectionsIreland.org | Irish Election Leaflets: Euro Election 2014 Leaflets