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Santry Anti bin tax Campaign target Ahern dublin |
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press release
 Monday November 24, 2003 14:52 by Paul Kinsella - Santry Anti bin tax Campaign paulkinsela53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9 085-1478100
 At Omni Park, Santry Santry Anti bin tax Campaign As I said above an Anti bin tax Campaign has been set up in Santry recently. We decided to start organising and campaigning to get publicity and to get more of the residents in Santry to join the campaign. We spotted a notice in the Northside People saying that Taoiseach Ahern would be switching on the Christmas tree lights in Omni Park, Santry, at 1pm, yesterday, Sunday the 23rd to launch the Saint Vincent De Paul's annual "Giving At Christmas" appeal. So this was too good an opportunity to miss to publicly embarrass Ahern. 11 of us turned up at just before 1pm outside the Omniplex cinema in Santry (Small numbers yeah - but just right for the direct action we did). Instead of using the main door which was heavily guarded by the Gardai and Ahern's bodyguards we sneaked in through Burger King carrying our placards and leaflets wrapped up so no one could see them. Right on cue at 1pm the band start playing Christmas carls and our leader gets up to speak. We unfurled our placards around Ahern and in full view of the cameras and media of which there were plenty and we shouted at Ahern about the disgrace of jailing honest, hard-working PAYE taxpayers and that 7 Anti bin tax protestors locked up and the fact that one of the 7 had a heart attack in jail and he is still under guard in hospital. Needless to say the Gardai, Ahern's minders and the Omni Park security staff removed us from inside the shopping centre very quickly to outside the main entrance. I have to say the Gardai and the Omni Park security staff were very civil and polite and gentle to us. Maybe this had something to do with the fact that there were a large number of media present and they didn't want any unpleasant scenes on the front pages of the papers or on the TV. After we were forcibly ejected from the Omni centre we handed out leaflets to shoppers coming in and out of the centre while we waited for Ahern to come out to face the music, and the response was very supportive overall and many of those who were in the centre when we hassled Ahern said play to us and they wished that more such actions would take place. After about 1/2 hour Ahern came out and we were able to get quite close to him and we again made our feelings known to him quite loud and clearly. Even as he was leaving we still managed to hassle him. He had to come out a long exit road from the Omni and we managed to get onto the roadway as Ahern's merc passed by - I'd say we got to within a foot of his car. A strange time happened then, the Special Branch detectives who provide Ahern's security beeped the horn but not in an aggressive manner, more of a supportive beep. All in all a good day's work I think - We certainly made our feelings known to Ahern and he certainly looked most uncomfortable in the Omni yesterday and we managed to get some media coverage on the 6 o'clock news on RTE1 last night and in this morning's Irish Times and Irish Examiner (If there was any other coverage in the media elsewhere like on TV3 or TG4 or any of the other papers could people let us know). Let us tell Ahern loud and clear that he'll be facing many more protests and actions like yesterday over the next few months until his government releases all the Anti bin tax protestors, stops the jailing of Anti bin tax protestors, orders the local authorities to collect all bins and scraps this unjust and unfair tax. |
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Comments (12 of 12)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12..for letting the gombeens know how welcome they are when they descend from their throne to meet the people. I believe Ahern actually used the launch of the St. Vincent de Paul appeal to brag how most children are not poor anymore under this Government. You could not make it up.
Yeah, that was mad. St V de P launch a big appeal and use the occasion to point out that over 300,000 children exist beneath the poverty line. Which is why they have to have an appeal, so the kids can have a decent Christmas.
And Bertie, who they have invited along to launch the event to get media coverage, proceeds to call them liars.
Not a way to make yourself popular Bertie Boy.
Good report Paul, Bertie was reportedly raging that his Santy act was disrupted by the great unwashed :)
We're now one of the richest countries in the world, by any international economic measure you want to choose.
You just have to look about you a bit more, travel around the country.
There's going to be no more of the Béal Bocht attitudes - "ah, sure, we're a third world country".
Those days are gone.
Admittedly there are still a few poor slums around the major cities but mostly these people are poor due to drug abuse, aloohol abuse or because of people who consider work beneath them.
You can't help those who refuse to help themselves.
I think you'll find that Bertie, in common with most other politicians, is secretly delighted when a small protest such as the above described targets them personally.
Nationally, the majority of Bertie's supporters vote for him on a 'lifestyle' and 'personality' ticket, not an 'issues' ticket. Therefore, an incedent such as this basically copper-fastens his image as an establishment figure...
[Note; I am talking about the small protests only here - which can be easily dismissed as mad extremist loonys, NOT the medium to large well-organised protests].
i.e. people think
"If nutcases like that are against him, then he must be doing something right."
and
"The poor fella's only trying to do his job for the kids." etc etc.
I believe that the net effect of this action will INCREASE the FF electorate nationally.
I'm not saying it's right or fair, I'm just saying thats how it is.
Have you any idea how silly and pathethic the whole thing looked on the news. Now after frightening the kids why not check out for Senior Citizens Xmas parties. Tossers.
Good to see the gobshites, especially "Bemused" are getting upset by the protest, I mean "think of the children for heavens sake" .
And as for "Admittedly there are still a few poor slums around the major cities but mostly these people are poor due to drug abuse, aloohol abuse or because of people who consider work beneath them. You can't help those who refuse to help themselves."
Well done "Green underneath" really incisive, unignorant never mind inoffensive comment, how old are you, 10? For the sake of your future development I hope a lot younger.
Get used to whinging and moaning about people risking harrassment court, fines and jail because they are the ones who will be annoying you on the papers and tv. You think FF are popular? Wait until June.
I see our Fianna Failure trolls were out in force in the 3 comments directly above Canteen Kevin last comment in a last desperate attempt to slander the Anti bin tax attack campaign. One wonders was it the same, sad, desperate, pathetic person who posted all 3 comments? Well said Canteen Kevin! You send everything I wanted to say. Really these trolls don't really deserve a reply - They should be treated with the contempt that they deserve. Might I add that most people were very supportive of our action on Sunday, whether at the Omni, in work, on the bus, in the pub and on the streets and they wish that more people would do more of the same.
"I see our Fianna Failure trolls were out in force in the 3 comments directly above."
I am not a member of Fianna Fail.
"Canteen Kevin last comment in a last desperate attempt to slander the Anti bin tax attack campaign."
I can't speak for him, but I daresay it'll not be his last comment, and it didn't sound desperate to me!
"One wonders was it the same, sad, desperate, pathetic person who posted all 3 comments?"
Not sad, pathetic or desperate (and I only posted one of the comments).
"Well said Canteen Kevin! You send everything I wanted to say. Really these trolls don't really deserve a reply - They should be treated with the contempt that they deserve. "
Don't be so ignorant. I posted a constructive comment about the public's perception of the protest, in order to try and enlighted you as to how establishment politicians view these incedents.
"Might I add that most people were very supportive of our action on Sunday, whether at the Omni, in work, on the bus, in the pub and on the streets and they wish that more people would do more of the same."
NOTE: THERE WERE ELEVEN OF YOU! You managed to rustle up only ten like-minded friends for your supposedly public supported action. Well done! If this is what you regard as a success then you're obviously new to the protest game.
"Constable" instead of clarifying things as you claim you only further muddy the waters and confuse anyone reading.
"I am not a member of Fianna Fail."
Hurrah and brillo for you! At least that's something good about you!
"Canteen Kevin last comment in a last desperate attempt to slander the Anti bin tax attack campaign."
"I can't speak for him, but I daresay it'll not be his last comment, and it didn't sound desperate to me!"
This seems like a deliberate attempt to confuse people here. I actually said that I AGREED WITH "CANTEEN KEVIN'S" last comment, so therefore "Canteen Kevin" was NOT desperate. If anyone reads "Canteen Kevin's" comments you'll see that he was agreeing with our action.
"One wonders was it the same, sad, desperate, pathetic person who posted all 3 comments?"
"Not sad, pathetic or desperate (and I only posted one of the comments). "
You don't specify which comment you originally were as you didn't call yourself "Constable" in any of the orginal comment/s that you posted, so we're as wise here as we were before.
"Well said Canteen Kevin! You send everything I wanted to say. Really these trolls don't really deserve a reply - They should be treated with the contempt that they deserve. "
"Don't be so ignorant. I posted a constructive comment about the public's perception of the protest, in order to try and enlighted you as to how establishment politicians view these incedents. "
"Might I add that most people were very supportive of our action on Sunday, whether at the Omni, in work, on the bus, in the pub and on the streets and they wish that more people would do more of the same."
"NOTE: THERE WERE ELEVEN OF YOU! You managed to rustle up only ten like-minded friends for your supposedly public supported action. Well done! If this is what you regard as a success then you're obviously new to the protest game."
These 2 paragraphs can be dealt as 1. As I said before most people were very supportive of our action, and they knew that they were only a few of us. Also as I stated before the small numbers on Sunday ACTUALLY SUITED US as too large of a turnout would have alerted Ahern and his security that something was going on. Plus and I did mention this previously, we deliberately decided NOT to publicise this in advance as otherwise Ahern would have found out and would have cancelled this engagement like he has done 3 times in the past month. Finally I'm NOT new to the protest 'game' as you call it. Might I also add that i also actually live in Santry, and not outside the area, a criticism that can be quite validly levelled against other Anti bin tax Campaigns.
....for defending me. However I wish he or she'd expressed him (or her) self more articulately.
The facts remain;
1. This type of activity (small numbers, geurilla style) does not reduce Aherne's popularity among his establishment voters.
2. Eleven people is not a populist movement. Jesus Christ had more support than that, and he could work miracles to boot! The anti bin-tax campaign will need a miracle now to have any real effect on public policy.
"The facts remain;
1. This type of activity (small numbers, geurilla style) does not reduce Aherne's popularity among his establishment voters. " Have you never heard of the "floating voter" "Barmitzvah"? Thankfully not all people blindly vote Fianna Failure 1,2,3, just because their great grandfather did?
"2. Eleven people is not a populist movement. Jesus Christ had more support than that, and he could work miracles to boot! The anti bin-tax campaign will need a miracle now to have any real effect on public policy." As I've already stated, sure we would have got many more people to turn up last Sunday, but then of course Ahern would have got wind of our plans and he would have cancelled this engagement like he has done already with several over the last month. Also if we were to use your bizarre 'logic' the brave Catholic Workers who damaged US warplanes at Shannon warport shouldn't be supported either! Finally for somebody who's NOT religious I really resent your use of religious references.
Re: 1 - fair point. I genuinely hope you manage to sway the voters as you hope.
Re: 2 - my reference to Jesus was a purely historical one. According to the most popular book in the world he was a man who hung around with 12 pals in his anti-establishment club, and apparently worked miracles. There was no religious context.