Cabra activists blockade bin truck

The bin tax struggle escalated in Dublin yesterday as Fingal activists carried out a second day of blockading bin trucks. The council responded by getting a high court injunction against 15-named bin charge activists and anyone else with knowledge of that injunction.

The Cabra/Dunard/Navan campaign activists had lobbied the Grangegorman depot Thursday morning and in solidarity with activists in Fingal decided to blockade one of the Cabra routes for one hour this morning. All bins are still being collected in Cabra (and the Dublin city area) but we felt it was important to send a message of solidarity to Fingal activists and also send a warning to the council that we were prepared for them.

Pic: The blockade in Dunard Drive

At 8am over a dozen local activists and a couple of activists from Stoneybatter blockaded a bin truck into a cul-de-sac in the Dunard estate. It is important to emphasise that due to the hard work of local activists relations with the bin workers are very good and the blockade was very friendly.

The issue of bin trucks being blockaded into cul-de-sacs by people from neighbouring streets had been made an issue by some sections of the media determined to find ‘outside agitators’. In our case it made more sense to block a cul-de-sac then one of the main roads through the estate which would have inconvenced all those on their way to work or bringing children to school.

The rumours in the Dublin city area is that the council is so terrified of the strength of the campaign that instead of trying to implement non-collection everywhere at once it is going to start just with the areas where it thinks the campaign is weak. Today’s action should send a warning that we will not accept such salami tactics. An injury to one is an injury to all; non-collection in ANY area should be met by blockades in EVERY area.

The Cabra/Dunard/Navan road campaign will be holding a mass meeting in St Finbarrs GAA club on Monday night. If you live in the area get along to this meeting where we will be discussing tactics for next week. On Monday morning the Dublin city campaign has called for a mass lobby of the Rathmines depot, we suspect workers there may be ordered not to collect non-payers bins as of Monday morning.

The injections mean that the campaign has moved up a gear, Fingal activists could be jailed as a result of them today. In that context all the Dublin campaigns need to step up activity and prevent Fingal being isolated. If people are jailed then mass action at the places they are detained will be essential to ensure their rapid release. We must show the state that we will not be bullied.

ps: At time of uploading RTE are reporting other solidarity blockades in Ringsend, Ballyfermot, Walkinstown and Crumlin.

Fingal campaign press release

Injunctions Against Bin Tax Campaigners:

Legal Manoeuvring by Fingal County Council Will Not Break the Anti-Bin Tax Campaign

IT HAS been reported by the media that injunctions have been secured by Fingal County Council against anti-bin charge campaigners, although no member of the Campaign has yet been notified officially. The Anti Bin Tax Campaign in Fingal and in the greater Dublin area will not be cowed by legal manoeuvring by Fingal County Council.

This is a cynical move by the management of the County Council to use the legal system in an attempt to enforce its disgusting policy of non-collection of the household refuse of thousands of taxpayers who are boycotting the charge. The management is doing the dirty work of the increasingly discredited Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrat Government in enforcing yet another stealth tax.

The Anti Bin Tax Campaigns in Fingal and in the greater Dublin area will not allow legal manoeuvres to reduce its effectiveness. There is enormous support for the Campaign because it represents a fight-back by ordinary people against a plethora of stealth taxes and increased prices by a Government that lied to them in its attempt to get back into office.

PAYE taxpayers also understand that if allowed to exist, the bin tax would rise relentlessly to be followed by water and other charges which could quickly reach ¤1,000 and upwards for each household. The protest movement will continue with the support of a substantial majority of ordinary working people

WORDS Andrew Flood (Follow Andrew on Twitter )