Right2Water National Protest against Water charges - Sat Oct 11th @ 2pm

by rua Thu Oct 09, 2014 11:49

I hate to sound like im trying to de-motivate people,this is not my aim but realistically i cannot think this will change anything,unless government buildings are stormed and more people turn out..

Other than that it will be another low turnout run-of-the-mill protest...

Saturday is a good day for more people to turn out,including the workerbees,but i cannot help but think these people would rather stay in their consumer slumber going to starbucks and brown thomas or whatever...

by fred Thu Oct 09, 2014 17:36

I think if there is a good turnout then the FF / FG / Lab scumbags will experience fear for their seats at the next election.
This may motivate them to reconsider this disastrous policy.

That is the hope here I think. Although I do understand rua's disillusionment with protest, I still believe that a huge turnout on this crucial issue would have a very real effect because of looming elections.

Everyone in the capital that can should put aside whatever they are doing and try to come out
to register their disgust at government policy and handling of this fundamental issue.

Come on folks, lets put some real electoral fear into these self serving neoliberal Bastards

by dividedwefall Thu Oct 09, 2014 20:43

nothing on for weeks then two crucial protests on the one day

Why did this event have to clash with the shannonwatch protest on 11th??

What hope is there if we can't even co-ordinate in this simple manner

or worse, was it deliberate?

by Sai'Des MacFugh - I am in no organisation Sat Oct 11, 2014 12:50

The thing that alarms me most is that people will be scared and bullied into giving their PPSN - Hats off to Michael (& Beverly) O'Connor of Limerick for refusing to give it up to them - See the story in the limerick leader: link given below. He is threatened with €150 extra charge on their bill AND no 30000 litres allowance .. wait for it ... just for refusing his PPSN !!? What sort of NAZI bastard demands this of them/him? And come to think of it Irish water is some bastard isnt it This case It should be brought to a court of human (or civil) rights in Le Hague And may that same court hang the bastard who set IW up

by Jimmy Steele Sat Oct 11, 2014 20:20

Fantastic turnout but why oh why were there NO posters in BAC advertising the event.

Me thinks that lack thereof shaved about 20 per cent off turnout.

by Charlie Sat Oct 11, 2014 21:41

You say the demo was smaller because of the lack of posters, but as I understand it the Dublin Council made it ILLEGAL to erect posters, with the obvious intent that Lefty demos would be starved of publicity.

Belfast council now has same policy - amazing seeing walls without posters now! It's not that activity doesn't go on, just harder to organise, more nline.

by anon Sat Oct 11, 2014 23:11

Organisers of the anti water charges march today were delighted with the massive turnout and it exceeded their expectations. Depending on who quotes the figures it varies, but it looks like at least 50,000+ showed up and possibly alot more. Obviously government bodies play down this figures.

by fred Sat Oct 11, 2014 23:32

garda / RTE lowballing the figure at 30k

weasel words from Burton

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1011/651606-water-charges/

by fred Sat Oct 11, 2014 23:51

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/10/11/water-we-want/

by Kevin Sun Oct 12, 2014 08:36

De-motivate?! Well to all of the doubters, this was one of the most amazing events I have ever witnessed! Total unity and steadfast objection to threats and bully boy tactics, finally, the Irish Tax payer has found it's long lost back bone, I was there and it was huge! People are thoroughly pissed off with being the target of Europe and our spineless, kowtowing Government.

Be in no doubt, people are very much motivated and this is not over by a long chalk.

Pay up or register if you want to but leave those choosing to do otherwise to do what they think is best!

by anon Sun Oct 12, 2014 16:37

These are posted on the Right2Water facebook page.

by fred Mon Oct 13, 2014 19:24

Denis o brien - He's the guy infamous for the esat dodgyphone deal and who owns loads of our newspapers and who bought Irish Water partner "siteserv" water meter installation company which "magically" won the contract over Siemens (which offered a much better deal) and who got an "equally magical" 100 million bank debt writeoff for siteserv essentially paid for by taxpayers.

Anyhow, Denis O'Briens toilet paper substitute newspaper, the indo had this to say today:

New relief measures in Budget to cut water bills by up to €100

Householders across the board will receive reductions in their water bills, as concern heightens within the Coalition over the prospect of a public backlash to the charges.

A two-pronged approach agreed by senior ministers will see the introduction of new tax relief measures and financial subsidies in tomorrow's Budget, the Irish Independent can reveal.

The Coalition plans to provide relief through both the tax and social welfare systems in a move that is intended to cover every household in the country.

The proposals, which were signed off by the government's Economic Management Council (EMC), will see householders receive a tax refund worth up to €100 from their water charges bill.

The package of relief from water charges has been improved, following intensifying opposition to the introduction of water charges.

Taxpayers will be able to claim tax relief from their water charges worth up to €100 a year at the lower income tax rate of 20pc. The bill for a family of two adults and two children is estimated at €278, meaning tax relief of €55.60.

The relief will be capped at €100, which would require a bill of €500. The tax relief will be available to everyone, regardless of income.

On the social welfare side, the number of people who will get a €100 subsidy off their tax bills will increase. The Government's initial plans saw the subsidy being offered to 415,000 who receive the Households Benefit Package, including the over 70s, carers and people with disabilities.

But this number of beneficiaries has now been substantially expanded to include the long-term unemployed and a large number of social welfare recipients who already get the Fuel Allowance. There are currently over 278,000 deemed to be long-termed unemployed, meaning they have been out of work for over 12 months.

A Government source said the new swathe of relief measures is influenced by the Coalition's "clear understanding" that water charges must be affordable.

But the same source insisted that the plans were agreed by the EMC on Thursday night and do not reflect the size of the weekend's demonstration in Dublin against water charges or the two by-election results.

full article here:
http://www.independent.ie/business/budget/new-relief-me....html

Yeah right, opinion polls and a huge mass demonstration of motivated angry public opinion pouring onto the streets before elections had absolutely nothing to do with it. Not to mention the unexpected election of left wing socialist candidate Paul Murphy.

Keep up the fight people. Lets escalate this. They know they are on a loser here. Clearly we CAN change things when we finally get up off our asses and hit the streets. It would be a mistake to settle for these FG "plan B concessions", all very easily reversed after election time.

Best to comprehensively kick out these right wing bastards. Because they have demonstrated time and again that they just cannot be trusted at all and they don't give a shit about the ordinary people of Ireland who are clearly struggling.

They (FG/FF/Lab) exist now merely as service providers for the rich and to do the bidding of an increasingly neoliberal and hawkish EU (which has completely lost it's way - google "TTIP" and witness anti russian propaganda and lunatic sanctions re ukraine) and to get high paying gigs for themselves and their party cronies. Kick them out.

by anon Mon Oct 13, 2014 22:56

With courtesy from https://www.facebook.com/1machholz

by Jimmy Steele Mon Oct 20, 2014 20:02

Charlie just on a point of information; we got DCC's 'ban' on posters overturned in 2007.

There is now in place a protocol for groups who put up posters to advertise events on lamposts in Dublin. Hopefully the Nov 1 protest will be advertised in this way as well as social media, mix the old and the new forms of advertisement and we will get the maximum turnout.

A lot of the 60 yrs plus age group do not be on social media so fingers crossed that the organisers remember them this time.

Lets keep the pressure on so that these politicians get the message that their time has come to exit.