Sinn Féin TDs visit Mountjoy

dublin | bin tax / household tax / water tax | press release

Thursday October 16, 2003 15:00

by Jonah

STATEMENT FROM Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin TDs Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Arthur Morgan will today go to Mountjoy prison to visit a number of the anti-bin tax protesters recently jailed for participating in peaceful protests against the unjust charges. Deputies Ó Snodaigh and Morgan will be offering their support and solidarity to all fourteen remaining activists who are in prison and will repeat the call for their immediate release

Speaking before going to the prison Deputy Ó Snodaigh said: "I'm going to Mountjoy today to offer, on behalf of Sinn Féin, our solidarity and support to all the anti-bin tax protesters currently imprisoned. I will be specifically visiting two of my own constituents, mother and daughter, Chrissy and Karen Heffernan. I know both women very well as Chrissy is member of Sinn Féin in my own area. They are not criminals. They are people, who like all the other bin charge protesters, have taken a principled stand in opposition to the imposition of an unjust system of double taxation. They do not deserve this treatment and should be released immediately."

Deputy Arthur Morgan said:

"The decision of the anti-bin tax protesters to call a halt to the pickets on the local authority depots is a welcome development that gives us all a chance to sort this mess out. The local authorities should immediately offer a reciprocal gesture by abandoning their policy of non-collection that led directly to the escalation of this protest. There needs to be a resolution to the present conflict. This can only be achieved when the City and County Managers along with the Minister for the Environment end the inflammatory and gung-ho attitude they have adopted so far and sit down with the protestors, trade unionists and community and political representatives."