May Day protest march in Dublin

by One of them Mon May 03, 2010 10:54

As one of those present, I would be surprised if the May Day march had more than 200 present. If anyone wants to claim 250 or even 300 I won't argue, but the turnout was extremely poor. The awful weather was partly to blame of course, but there is something seriously wrong here. We're in the middle of the worst recesion for decades with workers being attacked lef right and centre. you would think the unions could bring big numbers out for a May Day march against all of this. Instead the numbers are shrinking if anything. Why? What's gone wrong?

by Reality check Mon May 03, 2010 11:45

there were NO MORE than 250. Where the hell did you get 1,000?

by disappointed Mon May 03, 2010 13:19

The wsm reported 400 hundred in attendance.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/96517

When we can't write up an agreed accurate report on such a small march for this site ,what hope is there for any objective assessment of the current economic, social and political crises? The march was organized by the Trades Council which should take responsibility for the low turnout and call a feed-back meeting to discuss the problems . But isn't there an attendant crisis of reporting that this site should address ?

by Andrew Mon May 03, 2010 18:48

I stood at the side of the march and counted it going by just past the spike and got to 360. With a small march like that this should be pretty accurate (+/- 20 perhaps) although some more people may have joined in the short remaining section so 400 is a fair enough 'rounded up figure'. I also videoed the entire march passing so if anyone is bothered you could probably do a fairly exact count from that video. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s24QDV5yR4A this is a little earlier near the Parnell monument

I think exaggerating turnouts is counterproductive in the long run as it means for people who turn up almost everything is going to be a disappointment and then when they see exaggerated reports they will (rightly) distrust future reports from the same source.

Caption: Video Id: s24QDV5yR4A Type: Youtube Video
Mayday in Dublin 2010

by jaded Tue May 04, 2010 11:55

Mayday is an international distress signal, and that is what May Day low turnouts in Dublin and Cork have become - distressful. The distressed thousands in urban Irish society won't rally around May Day protests.

by Ger Tue May 04, 2010 16:07

The Union Leadership in Ireland has to replaced because they are in the pockets of FF and then maybe union members will be encouraged to attend marches like May Day.