Those International trade deal-making privateers who orbit silently around the Article 133 Committee in Brussels have suffered a couple of serious setbacks in recent weeks. Firstly there was a conditional restoration of the Member States national veto on the privatisation / liberalisation of health and education in the final draft of the proposed EU constitution. Admittedly it is with the weasly insertion of a get out clause if a trade deal looks like it will cause a 'risk to the delivery of public services' in a member state.

We in our innocence had all thought semi-secret EU / WTO trade deals were not going to harm or affect our control over our public services one little iota. Mary Harney had 'reassured' us all on this front in 2002 and Ruairi Quinn backed Bertie up repeating the same line in the Dail in the days immediately preceding the Nice II referendum. Indymedia reported on their barefaced lies at the time. No-one else in the Irish mainstream media seemed to even notice or give a damn that this was happening.

Secondly, the Article 133 Committee which the privateers use as their in to the EU Commission, and which became the bete-noir of the left campaign against the Nice Treaty (II) might just turn out to be a legal black hole and is due a trip to the courts courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund over its legal standing / existence.

We knew already that the 133 Committee wouldn't say anything whatsoever about what they talk about in their meetings - even to the Parliamentarians of Member States - as 19 TD's, 2 MEPs and 5 MLA's found out last February. Their basic role is to negotiate between EU Member States on who will offer what for privatisation (cough) liberalisation in trade deals such as GATS between the EU and the World Trade Organisation. The price of the Bus Service, or Aer Lingus is commercially sensitive and so won't be released -at least not to us who own the things. Those who know what is good for the populations of EU member states are most likely also concerned at the reactions they might get if it came out in the open that they are trading away publicly owned services in secret closed door deals without a whiff of democratic oversight. A fait-accompli works better and the role of the 133 Committee is and was basically to do the groundwork for a never-ending series of such fait-accomplis.

The People in Government, in Corporate Lobby Groups such as LOTIS (Liberalisation Of Trade in Services) , and even in the Irish Civil Service who are trying to hand the Public Services owned by the citizenry of Ireland surreptitiously over wholesale to the Private Sector have the time to dot their i's and cross their t's and to follow the labyrinthine processes of International Trade Negotiations to their bitter ends. They also have names and addresses.

If Irish and European Activists are going to have any chance of effectively opposing them when they come gunning for the privatisation of Health, Education and Water then they need to get to grips with these complex issues and oppose the privateers at every junction in the labyrinth. Boredom is not an option. These people want our eyes to glaze over when we hear 'Lisbon' or 'liberalisation' or 'Article 133' or ‘GATS’. Let’s not give them what they want.

What they want is EVERYTHING which is why the anti-capitalist movement has since it’s inception consistently targeted the WTO and affiliated trade deals such as NAFTA and GATS in an attempt to bring such machinations out of the shadows where they thrive and into the light.

1.Detailed Background Information on Article 133 and GATS from the Article 133 Information Group. Includes the Phone Numbers of Irish Representatives on the Article 133 Committee. Give them a ring and let them know that just because you can’t look them in the eye does not mean you don’t see them.
2.More background from DAPSE: Health and Education as a Business Opportunity
3.More on the WWF / Article 133 Committee Legal Challenge

Sutherland: Uruguay round GATT and WTO, 88-95. Aherne, Eu Constitution 04. 0.02 Mb Outside Mountjoy Jail - two SP public representatives inside 0.06 Mb

From The Newswire:

In Genoa we sprayed the Carabineri vans with the slogan “We are Winning”. But increasingly it seems like we’re not winning. Where next?

"Its been five years since the global street party in London on June 18th 1999 brought the fight to where it mattered – the square mile, the heart of the City. Much as North American activists would like you to believe that the “Battle of Seattle” was the first major anti-capitalist street demonstration to hit the western/northern world, they’re just practising their usual cultural imperialism again (presumably they’re blinded to the reality of it with an inflated impression of their own self-importance) – now all the world can share in Michael Moore, Eric Schlosser, Greg Palast, Naomi Klein, etc, instead of hearing a range of global voices fighting against capitalism (someone referred to it as “McActivism” the other day)."

Related Links/Materials
Photograps from the June 18th action in London
Why London Mayday was cancelled this year
Reclaim The Commons in San Franscisco
G8 Fix Shit Up!
Another article on the possible end of the anti-capitalist movement
Discussion thread of the article on Urban75

"My way of life Is fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but in their stead, Curses not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not."

Rocking. Big Dublin Protest. Big Galway Protest. The Word Spread around the World. Black Pope Trying to Arrest an American President. 'Monkey Bush get back in Your Cage, War Criminal Bush Get back in Your Cage' and 'Give Him a Smell of the Bannanas and He'll Come Running'. Getting the Peace sign from Tank Heads as they left Shannon. Ed Horgan Worship All Around. Tales of Police Lines Broken. Corporate Media and Bush Delayed as Dual Carraigeway inside line of Steel Blocaded by Ambush. RTE Step Up to the Plate with Bertie and Bush on the Other Side. Please Please Please Publish your Photos and Eyewitness Accounts of Ireland against Bush Wherever You Are and Were. All Power to the Turkish Protesters.

Donegal Says Make Hay Not War
Join The IMC Ireland Stop Bush Video Project
MacBush Drives Bush out of Ireland
AmBush and The 'Tank' - Saturday 26th - Shannon: Photoessay
Anti War Ireland / Shannon Residents Protest - Friday 25th - Shannon: Photoessay / Reports
'Geurillas' Camp Out on a Traffic Island. Weapons Search Turns Up Lots of Balloons
AWI Vigil at US Embassy in Dublin
On the Aftermath of the Visit
Disobedient Dublin Citizens Unwelcome Bush
Anti-War in Ireland etc Blog (26 June)
Galway Anti-Bush Protest Report
European Noise Protest Barcelona Report
Ed H Arrested
International Messages of Support
That Carol Coleman Interview and Reactions from US
Galway Grassroots report on how AmBUSH autonomous action disrupted the US press-corps.

From The Newswire: All Systems go for Protest as POTUS Touches Down in Shannon?

The demonstration will assemble at 7pm in Shannon Town Centre. Protestors will then march to the terminal building at Shannon Airport. On the possibility of the protestors being prevented from entering Shannon, Anti-War Ireland says: “For the guards to prevent a peaceful protest from going ahead would amount to a serious breach of our civil liberties, and would be unacceptable. It would also be ironic, given that Bush expects to be applauded by our government for supposedly restoring democracy and civil liberties to the people of Iraq at the very moment ours are being threatened. At this point in time, we have no reason to believe that the protest will be banned. Anti-War Ireland has written to An Garda Síochana to give notice of a peaceful demonstration, and to indicate the march route. The gardaí have not been in touch with us, so we can only assume that it’s all systems go.” Invitational video: AVI WMV

THURSDAY 24TH JUNE
Shannon Peace Camp Opens / Update / Directions

FRIDAY 25TH JUNE
IAWM STOP BUSH Demonstration: Dublin: 7pm: Regional Demonstrations in Galway, Waterford, Tralee and Sligo: Also start at 7pm
Reclaim the Skies with Light and Noise: Anti War Ireland Protest: Shannon: 7pm: Guidelines
BushWalk for Fun and Peace Begins: Lahinch to Dromoland
UPDATES:
About 10,000 at Dublin, 1000 at Shannon. / Photos: 1 2 / c.2000 Galway
Aquatic protestors arrested
Police raid Peace Camp. Find balloons.

SATURDAY 26TH JUNE
Bush Off and Don't Come Back: Ambush/AWI March on Shannon Warport: Assemble at Bunratty Castle: 12 noon
IAWM Demonstration & March: Assemble Dromoland Castle: March to Shannon: 9-10am
Visual impact protest with a "black blanket die-in"
MacBeth/MacBush Sat 9am at Dromoland Castle.

Related News
Bikes against Bush. Progress Reports: Tues Wed Arrival
Anti-War Ireland Update
Distinguished Iraqi Writer Haifa Zangana Speaking in Galway
'Arrest That War Criminal!' sez Rovics as Cork Gig approaches
List of Solidarity Vigils at Irish Embassies and Consuls Growing
Human Rights for Change: Text of Indictment of GW Bush
Actors and Actresses needed for The Scottish Play

Further Information on Events and Transport:
Check the Indymedia Calendar

From the Newswire: Twenty-five year-old Caoimhe Butterly is used to attracting media attention. On November 27th 2002 the Guardian newspaper ran an in-depth interview with the human rights activist who had just suffered a gun shot wound from the hands of Israeli soldiers while out protesting in the streets of Jenin. That year also saw her profiled in TIME Europe magazine as a true 21st century hero. Butterly however finds the coverage embarrassing, and can’t help recoiling when reminded. “It was such a badly written article,” she cringed when questioned about The Guardian piece.

Butterly nevertheless welcomes the media interest, not for her personally, but for the causes she supports so wholeheartedly. As Indymedia first reported last Thursday, she has been camped outside the offices of Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH), undergoing a 14-day hunger strike. The hunger strike has been initiated in an attempt to focus attention on direct Irish complicity in the construction of the Apartheid Wall, which violates International Law and contributes to grave human rights violations of the Palestinian people. C.R.H. own a 25% stake in the Mashav Group, an Israeli holding company for Nesher Cement, which is the sole provider of cement in Israel.

Ammnesty International recently stated that “C.R.H., through it’s subsidiaries Mashav and Nesher is likely to be providing the raw material of the fence/wall..if so, it would contravene the U.N. norms on the responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises with regard to Human Rights(2003).”

As ordinary people have been busying their minds with the elections/referendum, Butterly has helped place the ongoing suffering in Palestine back to the forefront of people’s consciences.

Original Report (with pictures) of the start of her fast
Latest Update (from redjade)
After 14 days Caoimhe ends fast

Other Links:

• Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
• Amnesty Urges CRH to Explain Its Role on Israeli Wall 19^th Feb 2004
• IPSC Demands CRH Answer Questions on Apartheid Wall - May 23^rd, 2004
• Vincent Browne's piece in the Business Post on CRH's interesting dealings