Protest in Ballyfermot

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday May 01, 2002 14:04 by kevolution - socialist youth thekevolution at yahoo dot co dot uk

Unemployed Group Take Action

Today, thirty or so people representing the Clondalkin Unemployed Group staged a protest outside the FáS Training Centre in Ballyfermot.

Today, thirty or so people representing the Clondalkin Unemployed Group staged a protest outside the FáS Training Centre in Ballyfermot. The were addressing concerns they have about goverenment sponsored/FáS implemented cuts in the Community Employment (C.E) scheme. With the death of the 'Celtic Tiger' the cheap labour it relied on for its survival is now being left out in the cold. Once again it is the workers and unemployed who suffer the brunt of recession. Willie Deasey, the main speaker/chanter said: "The Celtic Tiger is insaitable, and [to a group of onlookers] it will be you next. It has used and abused us" He singled out Mary Harney as the driving force behind the cuts, and criticised FáS management for not protesting about the cuts. In what was described by one participant as an "unprecedented" mopve, the protesters were invited into the FáS cafeteria for tea, and were given an questions and answers session with FáS management. This produced no acceptable result, with management simply saying "we can't do anything etc etc", so the group went back on the picket line at the gates. The protest was small, but certainly lively with drums, maracas (I never knew I was such a demon on them) and tin pans being banged. Placards read: "Reverse The Cuts" and "Local Communities Will Suffer" and many passing cars honked in support on the wet and cold day. The fact that these cuts are now taking place once again illustrates the parasitic nature of the capitalist system on the working class. The protest then moved on at 2pm, with the group saying that more action would be taken in the near future.