indymedia correspondent harrassed at ogra fianna fail convention

From the video:I've made, made my comments about that during the, the Dail during the week and I said eh that Tanema Bay ... full humanitarian em rights have have to be given to all of the people in it. That's been the Irish position from the start about Gontanema the gay eh people should be eh go through the, the normal system of eh being eh ... they're entitled to the humanitarian protection and rights and the full international standards of ah Kofi Annan has announced that we all stand up to should be given to the people in Guantanemo Bay.

From the Newswire - 18/02/06: At an ogra fianna fail convention this afternoon at the West County hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare an Indymedia video activist was harrassed by Fianna Fail handlers and locked into the press room by plain clothes gardai before being prevented from further filming by a uniformed garda seargent. But he still shed some light on what our politicians are saying about Shannon, Guantamo, Renditions and all that anti-war stuff. Nothing that makes much sense.

Related Stories:While the slimy politicians hide in the dark corners of their incoherence, the newswire has had details of a candle-lit procession next Thurs, 23 February at 5.30pm and and of peace flags flying on Grafton street. The Indymedia calendar has details of an upcoming Anti War Red 'n Black Bloc but it's only by reading an analysis that we learn the red'n'black bloc won't be alone marching.

Meanwhile, the controversy about those images continues, there are Reflections on Irish Neutrality and indymedia brings you media of Tariq Ali speaking in Dublin. Because on Indymedia you can read what the politicians in their dark and seedy corners fear the most - What we won't read this week in our papers

Gardai help a car through the picket

An ongoing dispute between members of the Building and Allied Trades Union (BATU) and Collen Brothers construction which has led to the jailing of three workers now appears to be escalating into a major dispute between workers and the company. Today (Feb 21st 2006) a picket at one of Collen's sites at University College Dublin (UCD) Belfield managed to halt work despite the presence of 60 hostile Gardai.

Despite the actions of the Gardai, which involved an early arrest of a picketeer and the construction of roadblocks in order to attempt to impede people joining the picket, there was no damage or trouble. A succesful blockade of the site was undertaken with the assistance of UCD Student Union. The Student Union had earlier passed a resolution supporting the 3 jailed bricklayers.

Although instinctive sympathies run high in support of the men, there are some questions over whether the demand for "local labour" as opposed to "union only" is diverting the campaign into a xenophobic dead-end. This could be a significant misstep in maintaining public sympathy and the sympathy of the broader labour movement.

Update: Feb22 Garda/Collen actions condemned. Feb23 picket continues