RT: Over ten thousand people marched through the streets of Dublin against the government’s austerity program, as Ireland prepares to approve a new budget that includes tax hikes.
The crowd gathered to express anger over an increased financial burden on citizens, and to voice concerns that the economy cannot afford further austerity.
The procession, led by a woman riding a horse with a banner reading “No to Austerity,” started at the Garden of Remembrance and finished at the General Post Office with a giant skull float labeled ECB, or the European Central Bank.
Organizer Michael O'Reilly, president of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions, addressed the crowd at the scene.
“The evidence is clear – you cannot cut your way out of a recession," he said. "On the contrary: with each cut in public spending, and with each euro taken out of the pockets of low and average earners in new or increased taxes, we are digging ourselves further into a hole,” quotes the Irish Independent.
On December 5, Ireland will unveiling a new budget that includes €3.5 billion in savings reached by way of spending cuts and tax increases.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny has pledged to impose strict annual measures as part of the austerity program until 2015 in a bid to tackle a budget deficit and give money to banks who made bad bets, which Dublin started doing in 2009.
Following the collapse of the economy in 2008, Ireland was forced to nationalize five of its six banks. In 2010, the government negotiated an international bailout.
The austerity measures so far have reduced average Irish pay by around 15 per cent, while unemployment is at a record high 14.8 per cent.
Protestors Colm Roddy (L) from Dublin and Margaretta Darcy from Galway hold up placards as they march against Government austerity measures in Dublin, Ireland on November 24, 2012. (AFP Photo / Barry Cronin)
Protestors hold up placards as they march against Government austerity measures in Dublin, Ireland on November 24, 2012. (AFP Photo / Barry Cronin)
Protestors hold up placards as they march against Government austerity measures in Dublin, Ireland on November 24, 2012. (AFP Photo / Barry Cronin)
A protestor rides on a horse draped in a sash bearing the slogan "No To Austerity" at the head of a march against Government austerity measures in Dublin, Ireland on November 24, 2012. (AFP Photo / Barry Cronin)
A protestor displays a banner against Ireland's abortion laws during a march against Government austerity measures in Dublin, Ireland on November 24, 2012. (AFP Photo / Barry Cronin)
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Union bosses booed at austerity protest
Last night the organisers of the massive anti austerity march in Dublin condemned SIPTU leader Jack O'Connor's "divisive attack" on a section of the marchers.
O'Connor had claimed that heckling of an ICTU speaker by the crowd was orchestrated by Sinn Fein and ULAsupporters in the crowd and was a "fascist" tactic.
Last
night People Before Profit councillor Brid Smith said: "Nobody
orchestrated any heckling – it was a spontaneous outburst of anger at
the inaction of union leaders.
"Some highly-paid union bosses
appear so much out of touch with the anger of their own grassroots that
they see conspiracies everywhere."
She said that Jack O'Connor's comments were totally uncalled for and he should withdraw his insulting remarks.
It
was a note of controversy at the end of a day on which thousands of
people from all over the country defied the bitterly cold conditions to
send a defiant pre-Budget message to the Government in the largest
anti-austerity protest since the recession began.
Rebel Labour MEP
Nessa Childers sent out a warning to party colleagues that supporting
another austerity budget would be political suicide.
The protest,
which brought Dublin city centre to a standstill for more than two
hours, attracted groups from all over the country amid calls that the
rally should be a precursor to a national strike in the new year.
Gardai
estimated that over 10,000 people took part in the march. Pensioners,
community groups, school children and rural pressure groups joined the
major trade unions for the colourful march.
Actress Sinead Cusack joined her son, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, for the event. She said it wasn't her first protest – "and it won't be my last.
"I
think it's fantastic. The great thing is that it is so representative.
Rural Ireland is here in force as well as urban voters," she said.
Gardai
claimed they had been told from early in the week that some protesters
intended to break away from the peaceful and lawful march.
They
say the information indicated that a number of groups, including members
of republican group Eirigi, various anarchist groups and others who
termed themselves 'anti-globalist', were intent on taking the protest a
step further than merely marching.
Gardai said there was an
intention to hijack the peaceful march to mount a "Greek-style" riot and
18 garda vans were used to provide transport for gardai – an unusually
large number of such vehicles for a demonstration.
However, the
march was good humoured and there was no sign of trouble as it was led
off by a "horse of austerity" followed by a lone drummer.
There
was a sense of pageantry too with children carrying mock tombstones with
inscribed "epitaphs" of doomed services and projects that have been
killed off by government cuts.
Though a large protest had been
expected, the numbers surpassed the organisers' expectations. While the
first groups had walked from the Garden of Remembrance, the length of
O'Connell Street and on to D'Olier Street and College Green, some
marchers had not left the starting point.
Addressing the crowd,
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said: "Today's
demonstration must only be the start of an escalating campaign of
resistance against the plans of the Government and the troika to heap
further disastrous austerity onto the backs of ordinary people in this
country.
"One-off demonstrations are not enough to stop the
juggernaut of austerity. We must signal today our determination to
step-up protests across the country and begin to prepare for a
nationwide general strike in the spring," said Mr Boyd Barrett.
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