Wednesday 22 May, 2013
TODAY MEMBERS OF 24/7 Frontline Alliance – made up of organisations representing Gardaí, firefighters, healthcare workers and prison officers – turned out in large numbers for the ICTU protest.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions coordinated ‘Not Our Debt’ protests in six counties across the country to protest the nationalisation of banking debts.
Large numbers turned out in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo, with the Garda Press Office confirming a crowd of 25,000 in Dublin.
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This mans poster “How do we tell our children we have signed away their future?”, says it all.
we take the blame once again for the stupidity and greed of others.
WE have not signed away their future, our a$$&s licking ,moron “government ” have done this.
the only thing we have to be ashamed of is that we allowed it to happen.
@richard- the moment Children’s futures were affected was when banks went unregulated, the FF Golden circle was allowed to carouse at will and Cowen & Co guaranteed the banks. That ship has long sailed . Whine all you want but all this Government is doing is trying to minimise the damage and this week they’ve done a pretty good job in that respect. Which might account for a pretty lame turnout today.
100,000 is a “pretty lame” turnout, Vincent?
Your shower have no new ideas, aside from rightly blaming Fianna Fáil – but they haven’t done anything FF wouldn’t have.
The lies about seeking a writedown, as well as the pre-election “not one more cent for the banks” lies are all we need to know.
@eamon- leaving aside the whole ” the country went nuts during the Celtic Tiger” argument, the duly elected Government of the day, put their by the people signed the Bank Guarantee. I didn’t vote for them, but that’s not the point. When they signed it, it became our debt. That’s fact. Not opinion. You may be content to live in the land of ” I wish it wasn’t so”‘ I prefer the real world. As for you being tired of blaming FF, they did so much damage that we’ll be trying to undo it for a generation. So I make no apologies for pointing the finger.
Dolan …. I rest my case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yjhxp-JJqDo
I’m more inclined to believe the organisers than the Gardaí, tbh, certainly seemed like a massive crowd to me: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0209/breaking2.html
100,000 people on the streets in a country this size, never mind those who support the aims, even if they couldn’t make it out … doesn’t much strike me as a ringing endorsement of what your beloved party are trying to achieve.
Eamon, I wouldn’t apologise to Vincent – if Blueshirt HQ decided to pay back the double the debt just to be nice to bondholders, he’d still be on here trying to justify it. He’s about party loyalty and nothing more.
What I’m talking about is the fact that the Government, in particular FG, consistently pretended that they were working on a writedown, when it’s turned out, by their own admission, that they did nothing of the sort. For one example, see:
The Bank Guarantee of the 29the September 2008 was procured by misrepresentation. The Guarantee was procured to cover what was supposed to be a temporary liquidity crisis and on the misrepresentation that Angli Irish Bank an the Irish Nationwide Building Society were of systemic importance. Of course they were not of systemic importance.
The march is too late. The Promissory Notes, although not legally enforceable, have been converted to bullet proof sovereign debt and it is reckless nonsense to talk about inflation at a time when all the trends are deflationary.
It is a bad deal. How bad a deal it is waits to be seen.
It is certainly an immoral deal. I am thankful that I am over 60 but what a terrible legacy we have left the next two generations.
The nonsense of 20 euro billion saved is simple political spinning.
At this point the debt to GDP ratio is far too high, the highest in Europe and the future is inescapably and inevitably bleak. Reality will dawn in due course. Even Vincent Dolan will live to rue the day.
McGee- you embarrass yourself with your repeated belief that this issue was every in our own hands. Because bankrupt countries being kept afloat by foreign countries get to dictate to those nations the terms of repayment. You’ve a whole lot of growing up to do.
@Peter- you fall into the same trap as many on here. This bizarre idea that anyone wanted this. That anyone thinks its fair or moral. It’s a disaster. And it’s all wrong. But bemoaning it all achieves very little. All that’s left is to be realistic and sensible, to minimise its impact and to ensure that the potential for future prosperity returns. Too many clowns on here who think that the Irish Government has some imaginary leverage over Europe that would have them cowering before us if we “stood our ground”…
Vincent. I live in the real world. A word where a private debt between two entities is that. A PRIVATE debt. Is it that hard to understand or you? We can literally have a referendum about taking a piss, but no say on this? A shower of treasonous traitors the lot of them.
Exactly Voodoo, and the real crying shame is that they never even attempted to use this leverage. If they had tried and failed, at least we could say they tried. For them not to have even tried, is inexcusable to say the least, and traitorous at worst.
No Vincent, had we tried and failed, there is no reason to think that we would be any worse off than we are now. There is every reason to think that if we played hardball with the leverage that we had, we would have come out of this situation with some sort of write down. Acquiescing to bullies, whether individuals or countries, only results in one thing, more bullying.
Looks like Sean Fitzpatrick in the first picture !!
Great turn out in Dublin. A lot of people disappointed with carnival atmosphere. They were there to listen to some leadership and I don’t think they got it
Rodgers,, gonna change a word or two from yer wee rant.. I think this is far more accurate..
The Government of FG/Lab should adhere to what they’re good at………sucking money out of citizens for their high salaries.
Remember this ‘thing’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yjhxp-JJqDo
Because ICTU deliberately sabotaged it half the Dublin protest wasn’t allowed up onto Merrion square, they put on brutal singers and an idiot rapping on purpose the min the fool opened her mouth half of the protesters that were allowed up near the stage left!
Intentional to get everyone home sure jack o Connor was prob lookin out thru gillmores office window in the dail
Have nothing but admiration for the people who turned out I would have been there myself but I was unwell, however I see this as a waste of time, the suits up in Dáil Éireann couldn’t give 2 shits if it was 5 people or 500,000 turned out, there needs be a general strike called and bring the country to complete standstill until they’re on their knees the smug gits
This is just the start. But its not just a case of trying to get the idiots in power to get real and wake up. Its to send out a statement to EVERY politician that the people of Ireland will no longer sit back and be walked on and it is up to those who didn’t march today to do so the next time. If as some off you predict it achieves nothing you have lost an afternoon and maybe a few ounces, but if we get them to finally listen you will be part of something nearly as important as the 1916 rising. If you don’t want to stand up and be counted please do not criticise those who have the balls to do so
This isn’t the start – the start was 4.5 years ago in Sept 2008. Ask yourselves where have the unions been?
The unions didn’t strike then because Croke Park was a solid gold deal.
They are striking now because that is ending and they need to protect their members.
It’s unforgivable how quiet the unions have been throughout the past few years
Kudos to everyone who marched but it won’t change a thing. Kenny & Co. are perched on their lofty ‘victory’ in Europe this week and couldn’t give a flying f**k about any of us, no matter how many protest. I have nothing but seething contempt for each and every one those wasters! Last one out turn out the lights.
So 1% of the population joined today’s strike – hardly game-changing.
Strikes need to gather momentum, but this stinks of being at least 3-4 years too late and is only organised because the Croke park deal is ending.
There is gross hypocrisy on all sides, in this instance does David Begg think we can’t see through it?
Protesters count 9th FEB
Dublin: RTE – gardai – 25,000
ICTU – 60,000
Huffington Post – Irish police – 20,000
Cork: RTE – Gardai – 6,000
ICTU – 15,000
Waterford: RTE – Local – 2,000
ICTU – 13,000
Limerick: RTE – 8,000
ICTU – 10,000
Sligo: RTE – Gardai -6,500
ICTU – 7,000
Galway: RTE – Gardai – 2,000
ICTU – 5,000
Total: 44,500 – 110,000
Gardai – 49,500
ICTU – 110,000
Having taken part in the march today in Dublin, I honestly thought that the official figure would have been higher. I was roughly half way in the crowd. when we got to Trinity College we were told by onlookers that the march had been continuing for 25 minutes solid before we got there. Seemed like a much bigger turn out than 25,000.
@ Gerry Murphy…At last a voice of reason, the fat-cat union officials with their enormous salaries are part if the problem and certainly should not be part of the solution. They are part of the rich elite that the marchers so desperately want taxed.
so, adding up the much doubted figures about 50,000 people showed up across the country today, 4 years into this highly orchestrated boom, crash and now recession/austerity (while those who created every single step of this still live like kings and flipping queens!!) and if you compared the numbers against the siptu anti fianna fail protest in dublin Nov 2010 where 100,000+ people marched to o connell street demanding a general election this is just downright shameful.
we have over 1,600,000 people in this country right now that have less than €50 to play around with at the end of every month after paying their bills yet they’re nowhere to be seen.
in galway today the march passed though the city like a flipping funeral procession, not a peep out of anyone and when we got on the megaphones to highlight the banks got bailed out we were getting dirty looks from the people in unions that we were marching with. we were also laughed at by most on the streets looking on. the ignorant fools!!
this country has been completely and utterly divided and conquered end of!
@Gearoid “we have over 1,600,000 people in this country right now that have less than €50 to play around with at the end of every month after paying their bills yet they’re nowhere to be seen”
Probably because that €50 needs to be spent on essentials to live, rather than paying for petrol, parking etc for a round trip to their nearest protest. My nearest one was 50 miles away.
The Gardai always underestimate the figures at these things!!!
It’s 4 years too late I’m afraid… Private sector and domestic economy non existent. We have an opportunity with our oil and gas resources but this will take time to plan… Only good news story in a few years
Hey guys, we put a out a shout on Twitter for these pics. Do you have any photos of the marches in Galway or Limerick? If so, please send them to tips@thejournal.ie and we’ll include them!
The march in Dublin was very well ordered, disciplined, compliant and quite cheerful. As a result the march will have been perceived as a nice orderly venting of mild well controlled annoyance and it will reassure the Government.
It could hardly have been called dissent.
Ultimately the Irish people can be relied upon to take whatever is meted out to them. A small country is conservative, orthodox and the people don’t want to appear less than fully compliant.
I heard some Gardai express derision when they saw Clare Daly. She is seen as a voice of dissent and we don’t tolerate dissent in Ireland
Protesters count 9th FEB
Dublin: RTE – gardai – 25,000
ICTU – 60,000
Huffington Post – Irish police – 20,000
Cork: RTE – Gardai – 6,000
ICTU – 15,000
Waterford: RTE – Local – 2,000
ICTU – 13,000
Limerick: RTE – 8,000
ICTU – 10,000
Sligo: RTE – Gardai -6,500
ICTU – 7,000
Galway: RTE – Gardai – 2,000
ICTU – 5,000
Total: 44,500 – 110,000
Gardai – 49,500
ICTU – 110,000
Will update as more numbers get out
Having attended the previous anti austerity march todays event was easily three or four times larger concerning attendance figures. I find it laughable however that people turn the attendance figures into a pissing contest. The fact is that more & more people are getting out & making their voices heard. Many more will attend future protests because the situation if anything will become far worse given the extra troika taxes being unjustly imposed upon the Irish people in future months. Those of you who attempt to belittle today’s protest attendance figures do so because your concerned that your lying political idols debt restructure has not turned us all into fg / labour devotees. All you care about is not having your egos bruised or your uncaring me feiner attitudes challenged. Your party’s days are numbered. This is only the beginning.
Forget the unions, this march was more about the people trying to get our government to wake up and realise that we CAN’T pay anymore. I have always paid my way in life but why should i pay someone for someone else’s mistakes, why should i pay when those who have the money don’t. I will say my share but i expect others to pay their share also
Some pictures from the 45 Thousand strong protest,
Link 1:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151467537065470.534989.541040469&type=1
Link 2:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.614578688559319.100932811.264349276915597&type=1
“Daddy, daddy, what’s a Blueshirt? Son, it’s what we have to buy in Heatons because we only have €50 left to buy food and clothes after we pay all the money back to greedy people that Fianna fail allowed to steal “.
A thousand or a million marching , who cares? The country is bankrupt, will you people wake up and smell the corruption! There’s f..k all we can do about it except pay the bills.
At first I was angry because I pay trade union subs that fund the publicity for this embarrassment to the country durning our presidency of the EU… Then my gym was empty and I had an awesome workout so it made up for crustie con hippie jam fest ’13, and all the alcohol and posterboard/markers purchased probably gave the economy a boost so it wasn’t a complete waste
Crap photos by amateurs. Pay for some professional pics Journal.
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