Up to 250 people took part in the 1% Network’s walking tour on Saturday last, October 9th. As people began to gather from as early as 12.30pm it was clear that large numbers were going to to take the opportunity to ‘see how the 1% live.’ The unusually warm weather and low-key Garda presence added to the almost festive atmosphere for this most unusual of political protests.

Indymedia Links:
Billionaires caring for the old & the senile | NAMA board gets pay increase | No to private hospitals. Fund our public hospitals | government must tax the super rich |
Other Links:
Ray Burke | fantasy hour with seanie fitzpatrick | Sticky Fingers |
Wikipedia Links:
Moriarty tribunal | Fingers Fingleton | Seanie Fitzpatrick | Ray Burke | Anglo controversy |

Brave girl but did she have to actually buy it?

On Saturday 4th September Kate O’Sullivan, an activist from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), made a citizen’s arrest on former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a book signing in Eason’s. However the Gardaí refused to act on the arrest, preferring instead to detain Ms. O’Sullivan for half an hour in a stairwell. At the protest outside Eason’s, where over 1,000 people gathered to protest the presence of Mr Blair in Ireland, at least three arrests of peaceful protesters where carried out, including that of a secondary school student. All have subsequently been released and are due in court on 30th September.

Indymedia Links:
Hundreds protest war-criminal Tony Blair in Dublin |Blair's Dublin Book Launch735 | Galway Stop Blair Protest at Eason's | Stop Blair - Urgent Call to Action | Arrest Blair Call – When War Criminal Visits Dublin | Photo essay | Eirigi protest
Other Links:
Blair must be arrested - John Pilger (newstatesman.com) | IPSC website | WSM article with videos | Tony Blair | Iraq war |

Thousands take to Letterkenny streets to defend health services

Thousands marched to defend health services at Letterkenny hospital from going under the knife. Anger and hurt was clearly evident on the streets of Letterkenny as pensioners and workers most vulnerable to any cuts in health services brought traffic to halt.

Related Links: Harney moves to close St Luke's Cancer Hospital |No Private Hospitals – Fund our Public Hospitals | Dail passes 'close St Luke's Bill' | Vital centre faces closure | The need for a united European response of workers against the attacks

Rain falls on the snow. The Contagion has taken hold. Ghosts from the old Dead Republic are emerging everywhere as the day of judgement approaches.

On Black Tuesday a guilt ridden political functionary runs from his job burying bodies in the city. He is tortured by voices of reproach as he journeys towards home. He recounts the history of his dealings with Fingers - a boss 'who made the old boss look like Mother Teresa'.

Meanwhile, back in the city, amid the spiraling negativity, Fingers and his acolytes lay the foundations for a new Easter Rising.

Joe Higgins MEP

Attacks on working people are mounting right across Europe. The so-called PIGS (Portugal, Ireland & Italy, Greece, Spain) countries have been to the forefront of these attacks. In Ireland, we have seen €7 billion of cutbacks, seriously damaging public services, including health and education. In Greece, there has been a 10% cut in wages and spending in the public sector, together with an increased retirement age, VAT increases and the freezing of pensions. Portugal has a plan to cut its deficit by €11bn over four years through a crisis tax on wages and cutbacks in public services. The Spanish Parliament has passed cutbacks worth €15bn on top of €50bn already agreed. Italy is due to implement "emergency-cutbacks" of €24 bn.

Related Links: Europe-Wide Week of Protest and Solidarity (Dublin)
European Days of Solidarity and Protest
http://www.joehiggins.eu/2010/05/report-from-guengl-meeting-european-days-of-solidarity-and-protest/
The initial letter (pdf file)
EU-Protest-Leaflet (pdf file)
March on June 26th as part of European Week of Protest & Solidarity