The photo shows the Jobstown 23 ‘Drop the Charges’ banner on its way down the Quays to the courts on Parkgate street. The Jobstown 27 charged in connection with the protest last November which saw Labour Party leader struck in her car because of a sit-in just in front of her.
Revenge came initially in the form of over the top dawn raids on the houses of water charge activists and now after a long delay many are charged with crimes as serious as false imprisonment – the maximum sentence for this is 14 years – despite the fact that several Garda were also around her car at all times. The number facing charges means this may be one of the largest political trials in Ireland for some decades.
The photo shows the Jobstown 23 ‘Drop the Charges’ banner on its way down the Quays to the courts on Parkgate street. The Jobstown 27 charged in connection with the protest last November which saw Labour Party leader struck in her car because of a sit-in just in front of her.
Revenge came initially in the form of over the top dawn raids on the houses of water charge activists and now after a long delay many are charged with crimes as serious as false imprisonment – the maximum sentence for this is 14 years – despite the fact that several Garda were also around her car at all times. The number facing charges means this may be one of the largest political trials in Ireland for some decades.
The march formed up at the Cnetral Bank Plaza where there were several speakers befomre marching the 2km to the CCJ on Parkgate st where the trials will be held. About 1000 people completed the march which happened to coincide with the Liffey swim.
Also last week 13 people in the Crumlin area were charged for obstructing the installation of water meters. This represents a significant escalation in the states attempt to repress the movement against water charges.
The Jobstown court cases will begin October 29th and November 2nd.
Video: RTE claim only 400 people took part of the Jobstown Solidarity march today in Dublin. We invite you to review our footage.
Video: At the Jobstown 27 Drop the Charges march on Saturday Daithi O Gallachoir greeted the arrival of the protest at the CCJ with a well received song “we’re not taking it, no f**king more”
Video: "Joan Burton you are not women of the year – You are a traitor"
Video: Powerful speech by Paul Murphy of the Jobstown 27 on Political Policing at the end of today’s protest march
In advance of the march we wrote
"At the start of the week the Garda served summons on many of those they’ve been telling the media on and off they were going to prosecute for allegedly ‘unlawfully imprisoning’ Joan Burton in a 100,000 euro limo for a couple of hours. It would be laughable if the potential sentences were not so severe and if the reality is all too close to some tinpot dictatorship where the elite live on a cloud far above everyone else.
This Saturday there will be a protest march from the Central Bank to the CCJ in Parkgate Street in solidarity with the men and women who have been summonsed to court.
It is being organised at relatively short notice so as well as going you might want to bring a bunch of friends who are not keen on the Labour Party’s vision of a bright shiny banana republic where anyone who challenges them gets beaten down or imprisoned.
A good turn out is important, the failure of the anti-water charges movement to mobilise when activist Steven Bennett was jailed without trial for weeks sent out the message to the state that internal divisions would allow them to pick us off section by section. It’s important that this impression is reversed by the movement standing together."
WORDS & VIDEO: Andrew Flood (Follow Andrew on Twitter )