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Referenda: A Strategy for Success?

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 09:40 — AndrewNFlood

The idea that calling for a referendum is a good strategy for winning significant reforms often crops up in campaigns. It seems logical, as a referendum is a chance for the population to directly make a decision on the issue to hand. But the reality is that the demand for a referendum is seldom, if ever, the best way to build a struggle for a reform. Here are five reasons why:

Thousands of students demonstrate in Dublin against Education cuts but USI attack their own members

Mon, 11/21/2011 - 10:32 — AndrewNFlood

Over twenty thousand students demonstrated in Dublin today against the introduction of student fees and the cutting of student grants. The main demonstration organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI)also included a Free Education for Everyone All (FEE) bloc comprised of rank & file students in disagreement with the passive lobbying tactics of the USI leadership.  USI stewards formed a line with Garda to prevent FEE rejoining the demonstration after they led a breakway protest at Fine Gael HQ.

 

(Pic: From FEE twitterstream
USI stewards form 3 rows
to stop USI members
in FEE joining march)

“governing the people will always be swindling the people”

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 15:32 — Anarcho

The ConDem’s are continuing the grand tradition of all governments in proving anarchists right. Our so-called representatives are able to ignore their manifestos, are free to break their solemn pre-election pledges and vote as they like – all in the interests of capital.

Fine Gael & Labour excuse tearing up of election promises

Fri, 03/04/2011 - 10:52 — AndrewNFlood

 As the first step to sorting out some sort of coalition deal Fine Gael & Labour in a co-ordinated move last night announced that they had discovered the financial situation was worse than expected. This follows only days after the election and the subsequent vote by all but two of Labour's central council to enter into coalition talks with Fine Gael. Clearly the scene is being set for not only Labour but also Fine Gael to abandon the promises they were elected for, only days after the supposed exercise in 'democracy' of Election 2011 and before a government has even been formed. So much for Enda Kenny's proclamation of "a democratic revolution at the ballot box", instead it's the usual Dail as parliament is meant to work, free from the interference of the masses.

Anarchism and the Big Society

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 14:58 — Anarcho

In the Independent (16/02/11), Brian Lincoln from Edinburgh wrote a letter discussing David Cameron’s “Big Society” and anarchism:

Departure Friday for Mubarak - millions protest in Egypt

Sat, 02/05/2011 - 14:21 — AndrewNFlood

Friday was declared 'Departure Friday' by democracy protesters in Egypt as a second Friday of mass protest was been called to drive president Mubarak from his 30 year reign. Huge numbers took part in these protests.

Recent days have seen intense street fighting as protesters had to defend themselves from mobs mobilised in a desperate bid by Mubarak to hold onto power.  Meanwhile there are dozens of disturbing reports of secret police arresting protesters at their homes and workplaces.  There has also been a sustained violent campaign against journalists which has forced the majority of them off the streets and onto balconies around the square.  On Friday morning Aj Jazeera had its Cairo offices trashed.

Around two million demonstrate in Cairo demanding that Mubarak go - general strike declared

Wed, 02/02/2011 - 06:36 — AndrewNFlood

After a week of popular revolt two million people are demonstrating in Cairo today demanding that president Mubarak and his son leave the country and that the regime be changed. An indefinite general strike has also been called by organisers of the movement.

The revolt which started last Tuesday with small groups in their hundreds marching and meeting up has now engulfed all of Egyptian society, resulting in the collapse of the police force and the deployment of the army. Ordinary Egyptians formed Neighboorhood Defence Committees to patrol their streets and a new Federation of Unions has been declared.  In the streets today the mass of people are debating what the next steps are as opposition groups struggle to be seen as the leadership of this essentially leaderless movement.

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Dublin student activism at the end of the 1980's

Fri, 04/17/2009 - 09:46 — AndrewNFlood

Andrew getting busted

I was a student at Trinity College Dublin in the last four years of the 1980's. The following account is based entirely on my recollections of student activism in those years, unfortunately I don't seem to have archived any of the actual leaflets or papers produced back then. At the time we were always disappointed with the level of struggle, it’s only in hindsight that I realize that period was one of relative militancy in terms of student struggles in Ireland.

Letters on "property is despotism"

Tue, 03/03/2009 - 04:45 — Anarcho

A couple of letters in reply to an "anarcho"-capitalist who wrote to Freedom. Sadly, the person in question used to consider himself a mutualist, before leaving anarchism for propertarianism. As can be expected, he fails to consider the authoritarian aspects of private property, something anarchists have been pointing out since (at least) 1840.

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