Public Meeting

by John - ISN Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:01

I forgot to include the fact that the meeting is tonight (Wed 3rd September)

by Ciaran Wed Sep 03, 2003 13:57

What? On 10 hours notice! Do you expect or do you demand a massive turnout? This kind of posting is very revealing of the mindset of many Irish "Socialists". Totally detached from the reality of most people's lives to assume that someone can drop everything and toddle off to a meeting the notice for which was posted at 10.59am on the day the meeting is scheduled to take place. So, for example, a shift-worker, who might have received a threatenting letter; who is interested in taking part in this campaign and who will start work today at, say, 1pm can't attend. If this had been posted last week then they might have been able to make alternative arrangements.... Same goes for parents of small children...

Please explain the rationale for such short notice - I'm very curious.

by John - ISN Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:11

We have leafleted ALL of Finglas advertising the meeting and placed posters in the West, East and South. We have placed a stall outside superquinn every Saturday for the last two weeks and distributed leaflets outside Dunnes stores in the West. We have received literally hundreds of phone calls enquiring about the meeting.

I decided to put the notice on the IMC today to let people outside Finglas know that the meeting was happening.

by amo - ISN Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:16

Yes, a massive turnout is expected. Not because of a posting on indymedia, which many people wouldn't have access to or have never heard of, but because extensive leafleting and postering has been carried out in Finglas over the past two weeks responding to the threatening and abusive letter issued by the City Council.

by Ciaran Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:23

As someone from outside Finglas I wasn't aware that you had done so much on the ground - so apologies. Hopefully its a success. Can someone post an example of the abusive language the Council used in these letters?

by Terry Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:35

Clearly a lot of hard work has gone into leafleting and other forms of advertisement for this meeting tonight and I think most people recognise that only a very small percentage of people read Indymedia, I think it would still be useful to have posted Indymedia a bit earlier all the same.

I notice this seems to be the case with a lot of stuff, where meetings are planned a week or two in advance, but we only hear about them at the last minute here. The question is why leave Indymedia to the last minute, even if it is relatively insignificant in terms of advertising? Perhaps there are valid reasons, such that people feel it will rapidly get scrolled over the newswire and forgotten.

While I am at, the StopTheBinTax website has nothing about the meeting either, even though there is a easy to use feedback form to forward any details such as meetings so this can be put online. The website will remain ineffective, if firstly people are unaware of it, which they are, but also if activists on the ground do not forward information to it. If people find sites do not have regular updated and timely information, they tend to abandon them very quickly.

So my point is the effort to put a quick posting on Indymedia and in the case of Bin Tax meetings, forwarding details to it, is very minor in comparison to the effort of putting hundreds of leaflets through letterboxes or putting up posters. They are certainly not an alternative, just another medium which we all should use.

Any comments/insights would be welcome.

by ec Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:40

and in the spirit of things if left activist groups put the website address for Indymedia on all their handbills / posters etc . . .

Some hope of that though of which more anon . . .

by john - ISN Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:54

I accept the criticisms regarding the lateness of the notice going out. I am not the press officer or PRO of the Finglas group and while I was reading messages I noticed that our meeting wasn't listed so I decided to stick a notice on. The coordinating group in Finglas is blessed with a hardcore of activists but has not appointed anyone the position of Press officer or PRO. I will raise it at the next meeting and suggest we appoint someone.

by Anonymous Wed Sep 03, 2003 14:57

Terry,

Because people realise that only a relatively small number of people will read the notification on Indymedia, maybe they are inclinded to leave puting a notice up on Indymedia last.

Nevertheless, I agree with you that since it takes relatively little time to do this, groups should be posting a notice up a few days in advance.

In relation to this - I think it would be appropriate and relevant for Indymedia to issue viewing figures. And if possible to determine how many "different" people visit the site each day - different, as in some people will visit the site more than once in any given day.

I'm sure viewing figures will grow extensively over time anyhow.
________________________________________________________________

ec,

definately a good idea for different groups to put indymedia at the bottom of all their leaftlets.

I would greatly encourage this, though unfortunately I think parties like the Swp & Sp will probably not do this because of all the bashing they receive on this newswire.

by Petrichenko Wed Sep 03, 2003 15:02

...during the demos on Feb 15th the ISN had a leaflet with a picture of George W. Shrub and the words a village in Texas has lost its idiot. Amongst several web address including IAWM and GNAW was the address to Indymedia. (And on other literature at subsequent demos)

And also IIRC the WSM have the address in their newsletter.

So ec it does happen even if you haven't seen it.

by Chekov - WSM Wed Sep 03, 2003 15:23

In addition to the WSM's frequent references to indymedia in our literature, it is pretty much always included in literature put out by broad libertarian / grassroots campgaigns.

As far as I can remember, that included 15,000 anti-election leaflets, 50,000 LAN leaflets, 10,000+ GNAW leaflets and posters over several months, many RTS leaflets & posters over the last few years, the Carlo Giuliani posters and flyers (many of which are still in place outside the Italian embassy), pretty much all of the material advertising all of the grassroots gatherings and probably loads more that I can't remember.

Just thought I'd set the record straight as I'm sure that many will have missed these - and doing a bit of horn blowing at the same time ;-}

by Anonymous Wed Sep 03, 2003 16:46

Good stuff for putting it on those leaflets - the ball is in the SP, SWP, SF, Green - Labour! (well maybe not) court to do the same now.

The media controls the world through controlling peoples minds. Through the media peoples minds must be won back, woken up and opened up to the truth of what's really going on in the world.

by iosaf Wed Sep 03, 2003 18:07

Ná mol agus ná cáin thú féin.
=Neither praise nor criticise yourself.
Though generally it must be remembered that anarchist/libertarians spend thier money wisely without party funding they "feel the pinch" more, the cost of producing leaflets and posters being a greater burden for such people, and as a result they are happy to remember how many they issued.
(It's the same in BCN) Incidently a recent visitor to Dublin remarked to me that the main difference between this year's impressions and their last visit in '98 was the state of cleanliness. They had thought Dublin to be litter strewn and dirty (as I remember it) but now it is squeeky clean.

by John - Irish Socialist Network (personal capicity) Thu Sep 04, 2003 01:45

Well, as predicted, between 350 and 400 people attended the meeting, the majority volunteering to go on the activist list (committing to get involved at a number of levels in the planned activities of the campaign), and so much enthusiasm that we ran out of membership tickets.

The meeting opened with an execellent contribution from Kevin McLoughlin(excuse the spelling if incorrect) of the SP and was followed with a contribution from Dessie Ellis of Sinn Fein. Local activist, Helen Medcalfe then suggested a strategy for the area and the meeting was chaired by John McCamley.

Contributions from the floor were interesting with one suggestion from one local that the Dublin campaign print postcards addressed to Councillers/TD's and signed by locals stating opposition to the double taxation and advising that unless the charges were done away with that support would be withdrawn in elections.

There was also quiet some time spent on discussing direct action and strategies. I won't go into details but to say that there was significent support from the floor every suggestion was greeted with applause and the tone of the meeting was people are up for the fight.

All in all, the Finglas campaign were delighted with the turn out and are eager to launch into some serious campainging and concious that the campaign is reaching a new level of activism that will require greater involvement and participation.

by . Mon Sep 08, 2003 17:53

Sounds like an excellent meeting. Hopefully we'll see more righttroughout DUblin city & Council!. As for puttind the indymedia site address on future leaflets.. do we really want to inflict most (not all) of the crap that is posted here on unsuspecting anti bin taxers? I think not.