A conversation with Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Sinn Feín) about the history of Temple Bar and the Irish tradition of public speaking... Click below for more photos and comments...

On Sunday 25 April 2004, the beginning of a revival of street speaking happened at Dublin's Temple Bar Square.... Click on the MP3 icons to download and listen to the street speakers... Richard Boyd-Barrett, of the Irish Anti-War Movement speaks about street power and the need to speak out against Ireland's complicity in the Iraq War.... Ciaron O'Reilly, of the Dublin Catholic Worker / Pitstop Ploughshares, explains Direct Action from a biblical perspective.... The Shannon Colleens, introduced by Donal O'Kelly, sing about a different kind of Direct Action that could play out at Shannon Airport.... Smith recites his poem about something (you decide).... Green Party candidate: 'Safer, Cleaner and Happier'... more info:FreeSpeech.Community.ie

It is critical to show, during such a display of media power and control as we have seen in the past few weeks in Ireland in the run-up to the EU Summit, that independent groups and people have the ability to create and share their own media, self publish, build networks and communicate freely and autonomously. We have been taking our information autonomy for a while now around here, using the limited means and technologies at our disposal.

In that spirit - here is a (free) guide to what is missing from all centralised and commercialised media in Ireland at present , a clear exposition of the issues that concern those who are preparing to celebrate EuroMayday and to protest the Dublin EU Summit. Don’t get MAD with those thousand foreign journalists and their Irish compatriots when you see these urgent and legitimate concerns glossed over and ignored by the mainstream – get EVEN. Don’t Hate the Media – Become the Media.

Guide to Issues is Here

Five Peace People - Mairead Maguire, Ann Patterson, Barbara Faibish, Kevin Cassidy and Justin Morahan - were outside Ashkelon prison in southern Israel when Mordechai Vanunu walked to freedom on Wednesday 21st April. Here is a vivid account from Justin of his trip. And yes - he was the person spotted on SKY News with the Irish language banner .

"On Wednesday, we started in the early hours, again by coach, to Ashkelon. Now the media presence was immense. During our vigil, hundreds of Vanunu objectors crowded into the space between us and the prison gates, many of them walked in front of our lines with Israeli flags shouting angrily at us in Hebrew, some tearing posters or throwing liquid. A few made their displeasure known to us through the medium of English. Some of these engaged in friendly dialogue. One of them told me I would be welcome at any time into his home. A young girl suddenly appeared beside me and asked where I came from. She held a poster in Hebrew. It read "Betrayed", she said. We exchanged ideas quietly.

Meanwhile, car drivers made rude gestures, there were two anti-Vanunu dances on the open road. In all cases where anyone interfered with any of us the police intervened, sometimes, we felt, too much. The angry shouts around the prison gates increased as Israeli banners multiplied by the minute. The largest was a yellow one saying "SUSANNAH YORK IS A HYPOCRITE". All the while, Ben the trumpet player drowned out the angry invective with his uplifting music. Then eighteen doves floated into the air. When the gates opened - (you may have seen the prisoner emerge. We didn't) - we saw the angry mob and a few placards of a bodyguard that had been chosen to accompany him. Our chant arose "VANUNU IS FREE". He was driven away. Our chants drowned out the angry ones. Then several dozens of eggs were thrown at us from behind by supermarket workers still in their red SPAR-like uniforms. Several hit their targets. We saw crates of eggs being carried from the supermarket. After ten minutes of this we got directions to return to our coach where we closed all windows and drove home."

More Terrorism by (English) Tabloid
I'm impressed. Yesterday's Irish Times had a story which included the fact that the army NBC teams would be on standby and today two tabloids run the hysterical versions (chemical and nuclear espectively). Chances of the Sunday Star having a Anarchist Bioterror Threat story? It's nice to see that they're at least having to put some proper effort into spreading this nonsense now.

Is Pot Kennedy an Agent Provocateur?
Dear Pat, - I watched with great interest your show this Friday and was very surprised when i discovered that neither you, nor your security expert Guest, appeared to be aware what the description, Agent Provocateur, actually means, this is despite your lengthy discussion on this subject. Contrary to your discussion, Agent Provocateurs are universally agents of the state who are there with the specific purpose of inciting criminal activity from those who would otherwise remain peaceful.

Gardai Want to Restrict Right to March on Mayday
"The hype around the Mayday protests smacks of the methods of George Bush. This is beginning to look like the deception of Weapons of Mass Destruction – a ficitional threat was used to justify a murderous war in Iraq and now we have the Irish Government and the Police creating a fictional threat as a way of curbing the right to protest and undermining basic civil liberties. We believe that the main aim of the hysteria that has been generated by the Gardai around the Mayday protests, is to justify draconian police methods around the visit of George Bush and to discourage the public form participating in those protests."

Street Hassle: Gardai Stalk Activists Distributing leaflets (1) (2)

Bring The Noise Bloc
We want to march to Farmleigh House to express our dissent. We have the right to protest in our own city. If we are stopped by police lines it is our intention to find ways around them.

Is the Hype an Excuse to Arm the Gardai Permanently?
Rory Hearne, convenor of the May Day march and Carnival said "the call by Mr P J Stone from the GRA for front line Gardai to be armed on May Day is completely irresponsible and inflammatory. The reality is that all protests planned for May Day are peaceful. This talk of riots and police being injured is unnecessary and is being hyped up out of all context and perspective. We really have to begin to question the motives for all this. Are these the first steps towards an armed police force and a police state?

All the Mayday News that Fits – Mayday IMC Filter

Independent Media Festival Calendar