The opening of the Dail on Tuesday 30 September (2203) after the long, long holidays the TD’s get saw a somewhat disappointing bin tax protest on the streets outside. Disappointing because while 4,000 or so marched last week only 10% of this number turned up for the Dail protest.
Last nights (Oct 1 2003) blockade of the Grange Gorman bin truck depot was a success with no truck managing to leave during the three-hour blockade. These were the trucks that were to do the rubbish pick-up in the shopping areas of the city centre.
There were blockades on two of the four Dublin city depots this morning (Oct 8 2003) and a lobby of the Rathmines depot. This is to mark the High Court case this morning when 24 protesters from the city are being dragged into the courts for breaking the councils injunction against blockading trucks.
Yesterday (Oct 8 2003) the High court jailed 10 bin tax protesters. Last night at very short notice over 300 people protested outside Mountjoy jail where some of them were being held.
Saturday (Oct 11 2003) saw the second major march on Mountjoy jail of the bin tax protests. As many as 3,000 took part in this one, most marching out from Parnell square with a couple of hundred marching down from Cabra to meet them at the jail.
This morning (Oct 14 2003) saw a day of action across Dublin against the bin tax. At depot after depot activists from the campaign turned up in the early hours of the morning to stop the bin trucks leaving. This act of defiance is our answer to the continued jailing of activists by the high court.
Saturday November 4th saw a large anti war demonstration march through Dublin city centre. This reflects growing opposition to the US war against Afghanistan following the bombing of Red Cross warehouses, a hospital and dozens of homes. The march also saw the first appearance of the new Anarchist Against the War banner.
An anti war rally in Dublin last night confirmed that opposition to Bush’s war is growing as fast in Ireland as it is internationally. The room booked for the meeting was full five minutes before it was due to start with 160 sitting but with at least another 100 people leaning against every available wall.
Some 1,500 to 2,500 people marched though Dublin on Saturday demanding an end to the Israeli occupation and freedom for Palestine. The demonstration called by the Alliance for Palestine and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign was the culmination of a week of activity that included a six-day occupation of a tree in the car park of the Israeli embassy.
On Saturday 27th Dublin saw its second major demonstration against the Israeli occupation of Palestine in a month. The march had been called around the slogans ‘Justice for Palestine’ and ‘No war on Iraq’ although most placards concentrated on the Palestinian situation.