Dublin Grassroots EU Public Meeting

by Wag Mon Jan 26, 2004 19:43

Another Riot is Possible?

by WSM Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:22

2003 was a vintage year for the anarchist bogeyman. He could be counted upon to appear whenever public discontent reared its ugly head. Thankfully, our politicians and media were eternally vigilant to the threat that he posed and were able to spot his plots and warn the easily-led 'ordinary person' to steer clear of him and his ilk.

In the Spring, as tens of thousands of US troops poured through Shannon airport on their way to beat the crap out of Iraq, things were getting a bit hot for Bertie when people started smacking planes with hammers and threatening to pull down fences. The bogeyman provoked a media frenzy, when he announced plans to protest at Shannon. Apparently these anarchists were capable of such 'violence' that thousands of Irish soldiers and gardai, and even the US military were powerless to resist!

Summer came and the World Economic Forum - the global elite's talking shop - announced that it would come to Ireland. Up popped the bogeyman, threatening to bring thousands of his foreign friends to cause mayhem on our peaceful isle. The brave and enterprising journalists of the Evening Herald managed to infiltrate his movement and splashed the news of a "Sinister" Anarchist plot on their front page. Apparently the bogeyman was planning "to destroy Dublin". It all proved too much for the poor government and they had to cancel the summit in the face of this terrible threat.

Autumn saw the bogeyman busy in the bin tax campaign. This time it was the Sunday Independent that warned the public of the dangers that he posed. As the blockades and protests reached their height, they revealed how anarchists had "infiltrated" the campaign in significant numbers.

Then, with the chill of Winter, he got a few ideas from his cousin, the phantom terrorist, and started posting letter-bombs to European bureaucrats. With Ireland about to take over the EU presidency, the bogeyman was now a real threat to us all.
On virtually every occasion that anarchists were mentioned in the media in 2003, it was in the context of a scare story about threatened violence.

The reality of anarchist activity was far, far different. While we were arrested, fined, injuncted and jailed in significant numbers for taking part in peaceful protests, we did not thrown a blow at a single person. Never once were we given a chance to give our side of the story.

However, it's not that much of a surprise that the media paints us in such a negative light. For a start most journalists are lazy hacks who prefer sensationalist scandals to real reporting. More importantly, the handful of rich and powerful people who control the media want to hold onto their power and are extremely hostile to anarchist ideas, which are based on equality, freedom and democracy. This is why we produce our own publications such as this newsletter - to give ourselves a chance to explain what we believe and what we do - and you're not likely to find that in the media.

by Interested Tue Jan 27, 2004 17:42

"While we were arrested, fined, injuncted and jailed in significant numbers for taking part in peaceful protests, we did not thrown a blow at a single person."

Taking a leaf out of the SWP book? How many jailed then? Significant numbers?

by Chekov Tue Jan 27, 2004 17:53

There were at least a half dozen self-identifying anarchists jailed for protesting during the year. If you take the total number of anarchists active in Ireland and you look at the numbers who were jailed, fined, beaten or injuncted in the last year, you get a _very_ significant proportion. Try again, I'm sure if you examine the terminology closely enough, you can discover that we are actually the Labour Party.

by Concerned Tue Jan 27, 2004 19:30

So finally we have an admission in the above statement. Chekhov has admitted that the anarchists that run indymedia are bankrolled by the Labour Party. Finally some truth.

by labour party Tue Jan 27, 2004 19:42

.

by Chekov Tue Jan 27, 2004 20:01

I really hope that was a joke, concerned.

If not, you can also find clear evidence in the above article that Indymedia, the Labour Party and anarchists are mutant-aliens from the planet Trotsky. That's the much more important story.

by Interested Tue Jan 27, 2004 20:14

Come on Chekhov, answer the questions and don't engage in typical policitian evasion: are indymedia bankrolled by alien labour party Trots or not? Why do you keep evading this issue and refusing to answer it?

by Barry Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:09

What are you asking the guy from Star Trek about aliens for. He's obviously been sent back from the future to save the planet and so can't tell you a thing under the prime directive!

by pat c Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:12

it is now obvious that indy is bankrolled by the swp. rbb, why havent i received this weeks payoff?

by Prime Director Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:39

You are forgetting one very important thing about Indymedia.

"There is the theory of the moebius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, from which there is no escape. When we reach that point, whatever happened will happen again."

by pat c Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:44

that explains magneto and tintin/magma repeating the same mantras about labour and sp. doomed forever to fight the same fights.