Successful first bin truck blockade in Stoneybatter

by Chekov - WSM & Stoneybatter Campaign Fri Sep 19, 2003 13:31

This report will be published in our local Stoneybatter Campaign Newsletter along with pictures of the demo. The newsletter will be delivered to every household in the area. We think that this type of local 'campaign press' is a good way of letting people know that the campaign has come home. If people see their friends and neighbours taking part, they will be more likely to make it along next time. In any case, things are looking good for the campaign locally. Here is the report:

Stoneybatter joins the blockades.

At a well attended and angry meeting on Wednesday night, the Stoneybatter campaign against the bin tax decided to join in the series of blockades that have been happening all over Dublin since the council started implementing non-collection.

Since non-collection started in Fingal, there have been solidarity blockades all over the city. Residents in Cabra, East Wall, Finglas, the Liberties, Crumlin and elsewhere have started to disrupt the bin service. This blockade in Stoneybatter was intended to show the council that we will stand up to them and we won't allow them to get away with their "salami tactics". The council now knows that yet another working class community is ready to resist any attempts to implement non-collection.

We assembled at 7.30 am on Friday morning in front of Aughrim Street church and before too long a small crowd had gathered. Scouts were sent out on bikes to locate the trucks, searching through the maze of side-streets, like hunting for big game. It took us a while to find the truck, but eventually we tracked it down on Arklow St. By the time the rest of the group arrived it had turned onto Swords Street and we decided to blockade it there before it could escape again.

At this stage the crowd had grown to about 25 people and we were all in high spirits. We stood all across the road in front of the truck and the driver immediately came to a halt and switched off his engine. Several residents approached the bin workers for a chat. Although the workers were very sympathetic to the campaign (one of them pointed out that they have to pay the hated tax too), they did express some frustration with these short solidarity blockades. Their supervisors force them to complete their rounds despite the delay, which causes them to have to work late. They are under huge pressure from management at the depot and have been banned from holding any meetings, even outside of work. They are fully aware of the importance of this battle and know that privatisation is on the way and their jobs are on the line. We assured them that we weren't out to inconvenience them, that this was just a warning and that next time they would get the whole day off!

Within 20 minutes the council inspectors arrived, closely followed by a police car. A few months back my house on Arbour Hill got burgled and it took the guards about 12 hours to get there. It seems that enforcing this unjust double tax is more important to them than the security of residents. A little later 2 council photographers joined them. The police approached the crowd and, as usual asked "who's in charge", to which we responded "we all are". The council inspector declared that his instructions were to collect all bins and that it was only in Fingal and Rathmines where bins weren't being collected. We explained to them that this was only a limited blockade in solidarity with the Finglas campaign, intended to let the council know that we would not wait until non-collection came to our streets before taking action. They then retreated to their car and watched us from a distance.

The blockade went on for over an hour in the warm morning sunshine. People chatted to each other and to the bin workers and the mood was very good-natured and determined throughout. This was a great confidence builder for the local campaign. We showed that we could effectively stop the trucks and that we had great local support. Many of the residents who took part had not known what to expect and had been afraid that the protest might be dangerous or confrontational. As it turned out it was a pleasant and empowering morning and the protest was completely peaceful and good-natured.

We went away to spread the word about the next meeting on Wednesday night at 8pm in the parish centre, Prussia street, to prepare for an escalation of the campaign over the next couple of weeks. This was a great morale booster for the campaign. We have known for a long time that we have massive support in the area. We now know that local people are ready to take action. In other areas blockades have grown after the first one, when the campaign has proved that it can pull it off. Next time we will need more people to join the blockades, that's why we need YOU to get involved.

by Indymedia Kevin - IMC Éire Fri Sep 19, 2003 13:50

This morning:
This morning around 8am a group of local residents and anti bin tax activists blockaded Sword Street off the Oxmantown Road in Stoneybatter in north west inner Dublin.

The bin truck was blockaded as part of a solidarity action with local residents in other parts of the city, including Rathmines in the Dublin City Council area, where services were disrupted again this morning, and in parts of Fingal.

Around 8.30am two Gardai arrived in a squad car to accompany Joe Brown, a representative of DCC Waste Management division. He talked with the group about how the bin workers had been instructed to collect all bins in the Stoneybatter area that morning. The group explained that their action was a show of solidarity with other residents in Dublin.

The Gardai asked if the protest was going to continue for much longer, and a deal was reached to allow the truck through at 9am, as people had to go to work. At 9am the group dispersed and the truck continued down the road, collecting all bins.

I missed the date & place of the next anti bin tax meeting in Stoneybatter, perhaps someone else can post it up here.

by Indymedia Kevin - IMC Éire Fri Sep 19, 2003 13:52

round 2.

by Indymedia Kevin - IMC Éire Fri Sep 19, 2003 13:53

just one more. all pics are copyright indymedia éire, use them without permission and yer bleedin DEAD

seeyeraftah...

by Anthony Fri Sep 19, 2003 14:46

I thought it was very interesting that the council have prevented bin workers from meeting to discuss the issue. It struck me as being overly authoritarian and I didn't think that they could get away with attempting such a move in our liberal "democracy".

by :-) Fri Sep 19, 2003 14:47

Pie them as well Kev.

by Ciara Wed May 26, 2004 21:53

Stoneybatter. Arbour hill is strewn with illegally dumped bin bags. Those living in Apartments on Arbour hill are not using their large unit bins correctly but dumping bags outside the door of the flats from a Tuesday evening - even though it will be a full week before they are collected again. SOMEONE needs to manage litter.

The generations after us will laugh at us not wanted to pay for proper facilities for litter management. I am sick and tired of living in the waste of others who are not thoughtful enough to recycle and reuse. The more you are charged for your litter removal the more you will be aware of it.

There is no bottomless pit where your rubbish will go - you need to economise and if that means hitting your pocket - SO BE IT !!

by Dubliner Thu May 27, 2004 12:35

There is a solution. Contact the Waste Dept of the City Council and let them know where the problem is. I agree it is particularly disgusting at this time of the year with the smell from bins/bags in the warm weather. Regardless, no one should have to pick their way through bags of filth just to get around the neighbourhood. If you let the city council know they can contact the people responsible for dropping the bags outside their door. If they do not mend their ways they can be prosecuted under the Litter Acts.