Organise Now! May Day march 2006

by young anarchist - anarchist youth Thu Apr 13, 2006 02:00

As there's no mayday RTS this year i'll be joining the trade union march for the first time, looking forward to marching with all the dinosaurs ;-)

It's been a long year for workers struggles since last mayday, Joanne Delaney, Irish Ferrys and numerous scandals over foreign workers being underpaid.

by Disappointed Thu Apr 13, 2006 09:56

Why will there be no RTS this year?

That's the best day of the year!

by ex rts'er (who grew up) Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:24

there are loads of other days of the year you can go and drink your cans with music in the streets.

rts as a tactic has been flogged to death. the 'street party' is a shallow exercise. there are other ways to get involved - and to have fun.

think beyond the past!

by pat c Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:38

I look forward to seeing a large delegation from Anarchist Youth on the May Day march. Might frighten the beaurocrats! Dan Murphy, GS, PSEU always moans about the Left taking over the march! What happens is that the march is reclaimed from beaurocrats like him.

Lets have a big Red 'n' Black Block on this years May Day march.

How about bringing along copies of the last partnership deal and burning them at the end of the march? You can download it at the link below. (Maybe not all of it though, it is 125 pages long.)

by . Thu Apr 13, 2006 12:02

http://www.euromayday.org/ is what your international euro-kin will be up to

by further disappointed Fri Apr 14, 2006 22:40

Hey ex RTSer,

It remains illegal to drink in the street, with or without music. As such RTS is something that is only made possible through the co-operation of the people involved.

It's true that RTS as a tactic lacks the shiny new feeling it had six years ago in this country but novelty is not the only virtue. Some of the best tactics, like solidarity, go back years and are sorely missing from your implication that anyone still in favour of RTS needs to grow up. Should we get a job while we're at it?

Tactics are related to goals, we might even say that goals are fundamentally related to the tactical means used to pursue them. Tactically RTS is ideally an open space for grass roots contribution to the event. It has sometimes been painful not to achieve this ideal and everyone is aware of the overdependence of the event in the past on a relatively small number of organisers. This is partly the fault of the organisers for voluntarily taking on the burden of so much organisation and facilitating feelings of passive participation among other RTSers. It may well be time for the over committed to stand back, but it is a big mistake for them to decide that because they are finished with RTS that RTS itself is finished. No one owns RTS. Is this a case of "It's my football and I'm going home!"? If so, it is your own tactics that are out of date.

RTS is well understood, people know what's involved and how to entertain themselves, all that is really required is to announce a time and a place.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say that a street party is a shallow exercise. Is that because it's more fun than a march, less direct action than storming shannon airport? There is more than one good mode of action. Speaking of which, you propose no alternatives. I'm sure you have alternatives, i'm just not sure why you're keeping them to yourself when being overly dismissive of other peoples.

Anti-social attitudes are surprisingly prevalent among socialists. How we act in relation to other activists is more real than all our abstract political theories.

Solidarity

by Disappointed Fri Apr 14, 2006 22:48

Hello ex-RTSer

I do get involved and have fun in other ways, this is just by far my favourite way. The one event of the year that doesn't feel factioned, and there is a feeling of solidarity. It is fun (something which is missing from the left), and is still defiant.

There's no place for hostile attitudes at an RTS, it's a pity that'll be a thing of the past.....

If I can't dance, it's not my revolution

by ex-ex-rtser Fri Apr 14, 2006 23:31

In think it shows the shallowness of some ex rtsers, once it's not new or shiny or popular any more (ie i'm bored with it) It has to0 stop for everyone, including new rtsers. Are we all that shallow?

by Another ex-rts-er Fri Apr 14, 2006 23:43

While it is true that many ex-RTSers are worn out with the process (it takes a lot of work to organise an RTS properly), the whole point of RTS is that it is a DIY event.

Nobody can call it off. If you want to do so, go out and get organised! Don't expect the people who have organised them in the past to do the work for ever.

by guydebordisdead Sat Apr 15, 2006 04:16

The reality of rts is that it has been organised by a different crew ever year since 2001, if you want to see an rts 2006 (maybe not this mayday but this year) then you will have to take initiative and organise it yourself. Last year dissent were criticised for taking it upon themselves to organise an RTS for mayday, all those people have moved on and many are organising for baldonnel and alternative mayday union events.

Reclaim mayday, it's a workers holiday.

by Ghostbuster - Ghostbusters Sat Apr 15, 2006 13:40

Why don't you all just realise that riding around on three wheel bikes, juggling and generally being middle class will not change anything. The revolution has moved on and trailing around Dublin being "individuals" while you all dye your hair and wear DM's to prove your "individuality" will only prove once again that the only people who can afford to protest are people whose mummy and daddy will pay for them. The rest of us workers have an early start in the morning.

by Disappointed Sat Apr 15, 2006 14:24

You're right, I should renounce all fun and opt for a life of seriousness and dourness. That would surely prove my commitment to the revolution.

No fun allowed!

by ex rtser er Tue Apr 25, 2006 02:09

Yeah I was involved in organising the Sept. 2002 RTS and then we all said right thats the end of RTS. Then another bunch of people organised another few, then another bunch of people organised another few etc. etc. Everyone stops with RTS after organising one or two. But I wouldn't knock anyone trying to organise one. Nor would I say that street parties as a form of radical anti-capitalist protest are no longer worthwhile.

by koomz - rts Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:19

who can get a generator, music sys and i'll advertise. get it going asap.

by bike rider Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:35

things like that are already sorted for the critical mass on the friday, a warmer upper of sorts perhaps?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75670&comment_limit=0&c...46945
more in the pipeline too