In one of largest demonstrations in Irish history, 100,000 protest bailout for European bankers

[marmar]

Ireland bailout protest draws 100,000 to Dublin streets
Demonstrators protesting austerity measures throw fireworks at gardaí protecting the Dáil from anarchist groups

Henry McDonald in Dublin and Andrew Clark
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 27 November 2010


Sionnach Langan, aged three, was taken on the march. Photograph by Niall Carson/PA


One of the largest demonstrations in the Irish Republic's history brought more than 100,000 people on to Dublin's streets in protest over the international bailout and four years of austerity ahead.

As European officials thrashed out the finer details of an €85bn rescue package, huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to demonstrate against the cuts, aimed at driving down Ireland's colossal national debt.

The main march to O'Connell Street passed off peacefully but there was an uneasy standoff outside the Irish parliament as two lines of Garda Siochána officers hemmed in around 100 leftwing demonstrators who had broken away from the union-organised protest. Fireworks were thrown at gardai outside the gates of the Dail as protesters shouted: "Burn it down, burn it down." Extra police were rushed to the scene to surround the ad hoc demonstration by leftwing and anarchist groups, who also set fire to a picture of the taoiseach, Brian Cowen.

Among those on the main march there was deep anger that most of the €80bn-plus from the EU and IMF will be used to shore up Ireland's ailing banks. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/27/ireland-bailout-dublin-protest

[yurbud]

1. their government and ours need a simple message: austerity for the assholes who caused the problem

not regular folks.

[truedelphi]

2. Their government seems to listen to them a bit more than ours listens to us.

Probably has a lot to do with all those IRA folks now semi retired.

The Irish don't like someone in the ranks of officialdom, their limo may soon be blowing up sky high.

[Imajika]

4. So your saying "austerity" won't go forward...

...because their government listens to the people?

Because I think austerity IS going forward. No amount of protests and strikes stopped it in Greece, no amount of protests and strikes stopped France from raising the retirement age, etc.

I am really not seeing where austerity and EU/IMF bailouts are being stopped anywhere.

[yurbud]

13. if you saw THE CORPORATION, they showed the kind of demonstrations corporatists understand

in Bolivia when they privatized the water and started charging people a fourth of their monthly income for water.

The people ran the corporation, Bechtel, and their government out of town--literally.

That's what it is going to take.

[Imajika]

14. Yeah, but in Greece the people just voted FOR..

...the current government in power that put "austerity" in place and took the bailout.

I mean, returns were somewhat mixed, but the socialist party in power did pretty well.

You'd have thought if the masses really oppose "austerity" they'd have turned out in large numbers to vote against the party in power. Yet this didn't happen.

The point I am making is, I am really not so sure a majority of Europeans are really against the bailouts and "austerity" when push comes to shove. They may hate it, but it appears to me a majority are willing to follow this path.

We will see in Ireland, but my hunch is the same thing will happen.

[yurbud]

15. It could be the need for resistance is more obvious in the Third World

where the corporate tactics are more heavy handed, and people are barely surviving BEFORE the bankers demand more.

[SugarShack]

9. The ST Pete Times says 15,000 protested

:rofl:

[truedelphi]

16. The othe 85,000 were obviously part of a Tea Bag parade for

Sarah Palin!

[formercia]

3. Another example of privatizing profit and socializing risk.

How long is it going to be, before the pitchforks and torches come out?

This demonstration is working in that direction.

[yurbud]

10. that's the only thing they will pay attention to. When we block the entrances to their offices,

take the levers of power from their hands, and the police have to decide whether to side with the rich or the middle class.

[malaise]

6. Not one of our governments gives

a flying fuck.

reword

[aquart]

5. I'm on their side.

Giving anything to bankers right now makes me ill.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[aquart]

8. Against whom?

[hayu_lol]

11. I hope that our bank executives are watching...

both Ireland and Iceland. It could/should happen to them.

[yurbud]

12. making threats would be very foolish.