Clearly you have a job it really is not that easy. Nasty comment

Yea it’s not that easy if your sitting in a tent instead of looking for a job. Again, wasters.

Having watched this group I’d have to agree, they have no intention of productively contributing to society, this can be assessed from the way the present themselves and engage with each other and authority figures and lack of respect for other members of society, public property etc etc the list goes on

Ohh Sandy, you ARE an angry lady …

Get back into you anarchic tent Paul !

I was there too why are you posting lies that’s just not true. They attract a few homeless and drunks that want to talk and tell their story that was about the height of it. If even one person protests that’s their right. I doubt if they want or need your support. The day we can’t protest it’s game over and it’s coming soon. Vote no

It’s not lies, I had no option to watch these yobs (yobs and teens being the majority) a few lost tourists who thought it was a party, people who inappropriately brought their children, that was the sum of the group last Saturday on Dame street.

Bryan what you are talking about is the Reclaim the Streets party beside City Hall I presume and not Occupy Dame Street. It was nothing like you describe it wasn’t even a protest it was about bringing some fun and creativity to a city that frankly needs it at the moment. There was no drinking or yobs etc Your attempts to paint it as something else really are pathetic.

People were drinking on the street.

Gardai took away one or more persons.

People were wearing balaclavas or similar masking garments.

I had a birdseye view and anyone involved should be ashamed of themselves if not by involvement then by association.

I was there for a short while thought it was great, had my one year old with me. Good natured friendly people creating a small event in the city for free on a Saturday. Anyone who took out drink had it taken off them pretty quickly by the Gardai who were there. A walk through Temple Bar anytime of day is far far worse.

We all have different standards and tastes. I for one would not join a group who had people covering their faces, if its all legit what have they to hide?

Here’s a video of it pretty much sums up what I saw. Only see one person with a scarf over his face no balaclavas just people having a good time. Frankly the city needs more of this not less.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52OTnglNbCQ

Hi Rob that really only shows a small portion of it, it annoyed me because they had no consideration for other people. There was a group there called healing Dublin who are there every two weeks there were people from apartments enjoying their open space when these descended and that type of behaviour may be tolerated in nightclubs but I think it is unacceptable.

All they succeeded in that day was reclaiming the streets from people who frequent the area regularly and peacefully.

The open space isn’t just for the people who live in the apartments or those healer people, the power for the music came from one of them actually. The generator wouldn’t work and they threw down an extension cord. Its was a once off thing, if it was every week you’d have a point. I can think of far more annoying things than an impromptu street party that only lasted a few hours. Think you are making a mountain out of a molehill tbh!

No it isn’t but there is a thing called manners. They had no respect for the area it was left messy they urinated up against apartment doors and city hall, I’m not perfect but I have cop on something severely lacking from that event.

I have no respect for these people if they want to reclaim the streets arrange more functions for families, these people have the streets at night they don’t need it during the day to, by that I mean anti-social behaviour.

Also I watched one of chief guys, who was drinking, who started jostling the guards and was particularly antagonising, again he may be a sweet heart but he came off as dodgy in my opinion.

I’m sorry but I see this behaviour every night in town I don’t need to see it during the day as well.

If that event offended you Temple Bar, football matches, concerts or anything involving people must drive you crazy. Good luck with that. Goodnight.

You wouldn’t be far wrong ha

Night take care

Are they responsible for ruining my day with all that dubstep?

Sheila! As much as I enjoy your passionate posts, I have to disagree with you on this one! Anonymous is right about us being sheep! We’ve followed a bunch of conmen (Fine Gael/ Labour) for over a year now! What else can we be, but sheep when we allow ourselves to be governed by power mad barefaced liars??

Come on Shelia, mannerly and legal could easily equate to being spineless and ambivalent. The law gives you a say if you have the money to give a Barrister to say it.

Last I checked, your imaginary democracy voted twice for the Lisbon referendum. The first result was indicative of that sense of independence you speak of, sadly the second smacked of the sound of sheep being corralled and subsequently skinned as opposed to being sheared.

@Rodrigo detriano & the burning bush

I feel that by the Irish people voting this crowd in last year was their way of correcting some wrongs done to them (the electorate) some may have voted to spite or in temper but many voted because they believed this shower would be better. I am not sure if a year is enough to prove that they are better but what I do know is that they have not made changes in certain areas where they should have! I’m angered at that, I’m angry at the ‘bull’ hogan the way he bullies the Irish people but I can only do what I can to show my dislike and disagreement with them by marching with many which I’ve done.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I do feel the Irish are a very proud people and just like me, if someone jerks my chain more than once they pay for it dearly! I will be voting in the referendum, I’m still trying to decide which way, but I will vote for the side that my children want. They have votes also. Ireland will be theirs and we have to make it better for them. Not only have we f . . ked up what my parents’ generation gave us, but we have also f . . ked it up for our children.

Sheila because of our constitution we the irish people have a say… If we vote yes to this austerity treaty then we lose our sovereignty and our voice… The irony of your first comment is startling…. Most young people what change…. Vote no lets take our chance, it can’t be worse than what germany and France have planned for us….

They are giving their time in peacefully protesting what’s your problem

David H
I find it hard to believe that you really are a student ! Where is your sense of rebellion and need or want of change ?

A government that lies its way to power is an attack on our democracy. A an attempt to frighten people into a certain result in a referendum without discussing the actual treaty is an attack on democracy. A democracy confers A RIGHT OF PROTEST and that arrogant shower of bastards in power need to remember that and if we want to stand in front of the dail at any time of our choosing and demand the govt’s resignation, we will. Its our democracy David and I think your party should remember that. How dare you call protest a an attack on democracy! Thats the very bloody essence of democracy!

You get change through active politics, not by sitting on your arse outside the Dáil.

so in your opinion David you also think that the protests against the Household Tax were also an attack on our democracy? And if so what would you think would be the appropriate democratic way of dealing with protests?

It’s funny how this comment does not make any literal sense of the meaning of the word democracy or attack. Ironic how such democracy was challenged by the right wing government in lacking impartial information on the matter. Funny how you wouldn’t last 2 minutes having a conversation with anyone on the topic as you simply do not have any clue. You want to be seen as a doer when in fact your ego disgraces credibility and your membership of a bogus party of public treason exaggerates this. You have your profile picture with Enda Kenny and your proud of this. You seem not to care of the failures of this government and wish to put down those who try to raise awareness. But, that’s obvious. You havn’t seen nothing yet and you’re too busy in your suit keeping up appearances. You are a man of ego. You are a true one per center. You appear to know more then you do and you know this. I have lost much respect for someone I saw much potential in. I know little yet but I stay true to Ireland and dont seek such grandeur. Come out and see the world from outside your realm of already made decisions and chat to those with decades of experience out in a broken society.

How do you know they are claiming any state money. And maybe you steal from your boss or fake sickness.

yes Sandy, lets do that. Whilst we’re at it we can hunt down all those gainfully employed people who can neither spell or write grammatically correct sentences. We could have them sacked for such an affront to the English language.

Maybe someone should take your name and confiscate your cyber crayons.

Are you their dole officer Sandy? Where did you get that inside information?

Having read through most of the comments I can safely say that thejournal.ie is just a right-wing rag. Sandy mouthing off about what I imagine she perceives as hippies. I personally know some of those protestors. The ones I know work. In their free time they came down to protest. Those people had mostly left the encampment around early January because they felt the group had become stagnant. The people that were left were passionate people without the knowledge of how to further the movements interests.

Sandy, I’m from Waterford. The unemployment rate there is about 22%. When I was unemployed there last summer I could find one in four of my friends down in the pub. It wasn’t laziness. The bloody dole officer would be sitting across the bar themselves! There is literally NO JOBS. I’m living in Dublin now. I work casually myself, which means I draw the casual dole when I don’t make enough in a week. My job is completely client-based, and is gets very quiet during the summer especially. I have tried looking for employment and its looking dry. I’m looking at upskilling myself in IT – I’m pretty nifty with computers and want to study computer science as a mature student in UCD. There are many people like me in a similar position, and your attitude suggests that we’re the polar opposite of who we really are. I live on less than €120 a week, but hey.. c’est la vie. I’ll fight on and find employment somewhere, and I’ll live as humbly as possible til then.

I was quite vocal of my support of the movement during its inception, and vocal of its decline post-New Year. I stayed there myself one night and regularly visited. There was some very bright and politically aware people there. Ya, there was some crackpots too, and the protestors were sometimes subject to physically attacks and addicts stealing from them. But many of them stayed.

Would you cut me off the dole? Would you write me off as some lazy hippy who should just ‘get a job’. I’ve read your other comments, and they just seem angry and ignorant. I’m bracing for a ridiculous amount of downvotes – because I still think this site is a fascist rag – but perhaps I’ll receive some interesting and thought out responses.

This isn’t a personal attack or anything. I would really just like people to become a little bit more aware of who these ‘lazy, good-for-nothing hippies’ really are.

Sorry Abby but I was there I saw that and no way would I lend my support to this, it was horrific. I’d say you see better behaviour at Oxygen.

would ya not wear a mask so people won’t know what you look like when your talking populist waffle?

Their approach has changed since their days outside central bank, they were on another part of dame street last week and the were aggressive.

Judging from last Saturday and then only I do attack everything they stand for because they stood for nothing that day except drinking on the street, over taking public spaces a healing group regularly set up shop there and they literally descended on top of them shouting and screaming.

It’s a few yobs who have nothing better to do and a few kids looking for a riot they stand for nothing.

Here here… I never met any of these guys but your right they seem to be protesting in some small harmless way… More than the rest of us….

Well if that’s true then they’re their own worst enemy cause they need public support if they want to achieve anything. They probably should just wind down at this stage as they do seem a bit more self-righteous lately.
I suppose my problem with attacking them so vehemently is that, even if it is justified in some cases, it seems completely misdirected. And a lot of stuff people are saying about them now they’ve been saying since their days outside the central bank.

Lorcan I agree, I make my protestations known to the government on at least a weekly basis but I am not going to join a group just for numbers or because they are shouting the loudest. I would of originally been with them but now I HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THEM IN ACTION no way would I.

Lorcan, I agree with your first comment, you make a point I wanted to make, especially about affecting local businesses – I walked through here many times and was never hindered, nor are there even any shops in that immediate area. Live and let live! It’s their right to protest. Why take it so personally.

Paul Robinson
That is a very unfair comment !

So why do you pay them so?

@ Paul Robinson, Bennett, Frank Faldo etc.

There is a time and place for these demonstrations. The small businesses and people that work on Dame Street had to put up the losses to their buisnesses for long enough. Decent hard working people and decent people who have lost their jobs and income do not want this sort of demonstration. If you have something to say, do it legally, like the march a few weeks ago for the household tax. There were 1,000′s there that wanted to voice their anger about many things, their child’s SNA, unemployment, unfairness to the ordinary person on the street.

Why are there English ‘new age’ people involved in this sort of demonstration in Ireland?

I don’t have a problem with any one demonstrating , peacefully , or voicing their opinion .I actually think that the occupy group were quick to try and stop outside the dail … But they knew like the rest of us knew that they would not be allowed to stay there . However , I do not like when the Gardai are slagged off. They do not have the right of reply and as a disciplined force they must carry out their orders. They have to do it , no choice. I admire them as they are the ones who answer our calls for help and our calls to attend RTA’s , so why would any one call them legalised thugs when we all knew that the occupy group would not be let stay there.
BTW , the gardai are as badly hit by austerity and cts and increase in PAYE and other taxes as much as the rest of us ! Respect Please.

And who’s the first person you go running to if your house is burgled or your car is stolen? Moron

Suzie, totally agree with you – having been involved with several protest movements over the past 30 years I have first-hand experience of how a little respect goes a long way with An Garda. The truth is that many Garda would agree in principle with Occupy Dame Street, they’re equally frustrated with the pillage of the Irish economy – but it’s always going to be difficult to have empathy with people who start a conversation by using the word ‘fascist’. #ODS is a worthy cause, I really hope the group can improve their communication skills + strategic thinking; and not lose vital support because of crap presentation……..