Traveller organisations and community groups protested today (24th June 2006) outside Dail Eireann at the forced eviction of a lone parent family in Fermoy, North Cork.

The members of Traveller organisations from Mayo, Tullamore, Galway, LImerick, Clare, Kildare and Dublin were joined by community groups including OPEN, Residents Against Racism and the Children's Rights Alliance.

The Irish Traveller Movement called the protest at short notice to voice opposition to the use of the Trespass legislation. This Act criminalizes trespass on public and private land. Section 24 of the Public Order Act as amended by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002, provides that:

"a person without the consent of the owner, shall not enter or occupy any land or bring on to that land any object which might either damage the land or effect any amenity attaching to the land or prevent other people using the land"

Past Indy Coverage: 2003 First Travellers Sentanced Under Tresspass Act | Go - Move – Shift: Anti-Traveller Racism in Ireland | A Very Irish Apartheid: Inequality In Education and Irish Travellers | Out Of Site Out Of Mind:Travellers In Ballymun | The Life Of Breda: Interview With A Traveller Woman | How The New Public Order Act Will Be Used Against Travellers | The Indy Search Engine On Travellers

While Driving through Ennis town yesterday afternoon a local anti-war activist put six young US service men under (citizens) arrest. On Thursday morning an US troop carrier landed at Shannon with technical problems. This is a common occurrence with the chartered troop carriers that come through Shannon Airport. With an average of 1100 hundred troops going through Irelands second international airport on a nightly basis these aircraft are flat out ferrying young men and women to Iraq. Many of these stranded soldiers were billeted at the West County Hotel in Ennis near where peace activist Conor Cregan encountered six young US servicemen on the main Ennis to Limerick road.

Cregan immediately called for the six to stop. “I am placing you all under citizen’s arrest. Do not move” he shouted as the stunned men came to a halt. After assuring the men that they were not in jeopardy the peace activist made an emergency call to Ennis Garda Station. Cregan called for the Member in charge to send a van to pick up these awol soldiers but Garda O'Sullivan’s response was less than helpful. The deskbound officer was more interested to know if they were armed or their commander in chief George W Bush was among them. Mind you he wasn’t so funny when reminded that that all emergency calls were recorded.

The Strategic Infrastructure Bill (2006) is the pinacle of two Ministers’ of Environment contempt for ‘the law’ since this regime came to power in 1997. It was spotted as far back as last September, and again in February of this year. It bodes well for the fast-tracking of pollution projects such as roads and incinerators, and for monuments to pesimism such as prisons. From now on, nothing is sacred in this, once, sacred isle. The Bill is currently making its way through the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Among other things, this Bill intends that: a local group must be active for more than 12 months and have a stated aim and objective of environmental protection, before they can even apply for a judicial review of a particular case impacting on them or thrie community.

From the News Wire: Planning law in this country is a joke. For years the odds have been stacked in favour of unsustainable development and now the FF/PD coalition is making it harder for communities to legally challenge those who are making fortunes out of wrecking the place, be they speculators, developers, multi-nationals, politicans, contractors, quarrymen or even archaeologists (but not this one)....Anarchaeologist continues on wire.

Green Party T.D. John Gormley has called for sweeping measures to stop the “serious problem” of graffiti. Namely:

• The introduction of specific legislation to deal with the offence of graffiti/street art
• The establishment of a Special Garda Graffiti Unit to target artists
• Rewards to be offered for tip-offs on Taggers
• Community service orders
• A Graffiti Hotline
• Revoking the driving licences of graffiti artists
• Banning the sale of spray paint to minors as well as banning the possession of spray paint in public place.

“If you want to know what is actually occurring inside, underneath, at the center, at any given moment, art is a truer guide than politics, more often than not.” - Percy Windham Lewis (1884-1957)

On Friday evening last, five people found themselves served with notices to appear in the High Court this morning to answer as to why they allegedly disobeyed an order from the court, preventing them from obstructing contractors from connecting up the polluted river Deel as their main water supply.

This issue has been developing in Pallaskenry in Limerick, where there is opposition to the County Council’s intentions for the local water supply. The current situation came about following protests against the plan to place the local community on a larger group scheme for the provision of water. At present the locality is served by a supply of water from a local freshwater spring. The larger group scheme would mean that the community would instead be served by water from the River Deel, which is highly polluted.

This article contains a report from this morning’s court appearance.

Excerpt:
“Orla Kaiser was last to present her version of the issue… She read from a statement that she had prepared earlier and had amended on the train from Limerick. Despite being very nervous her voice held no tremor or apology. She began with a quote from an EU directive:

"Water is not a commercial product like any other, but rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such."

She admitted to violating the order against her. The whole courtroom erupted into applause at this point, the judge even managed a smile. Those representing Limerick County Council, neither clapped, smiled nor approved.

Previous indymedia articles on the issue: Echoes of Rossport as Pallaskenry 5 face Jail | Limerick County Council, who are you working for? | A Call For Support | Why Must We Go to Prison for the Safety of their Families? | Support for Pallaskenry & Bleach Lough Spring Water Retention Group | No Spring Water - No Vote! | UPDATE: 2 more prepared to risk jail