April 2010

Public Service deal - the battle lines are drawn

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With the National Executive of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation coming out unanimously against the Public Service deal and the NEC of SIPTU advocating a yes vote, the battle lines are well and truly drawn.  The next few weeks will see an intense debate in the trade union movement on this deal, and the threats of what will happen to us if we don't comply are already coming thick and heavy from government ministers such as Mary Harney and Brian Lenihan.

How do we know who will struggle? - RR1 Audio

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Butterflies to taxonomy caseThe left talks a lot about class but in a manner that often confuses more than it clarifies. In this audio recording of a Rethinking revolution seminar at Seomra Spraoi Paul Bowman wonders just how useful the classification obsessed approach of the left actually is.

Interview with US soldier from company involved in Apache killing of journalists

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Salon Radio interviewed Josh Stieber a former solider in the U.S. Army in Iraq who served with Bravo Company 2-16, the infantry ground soldiers involved in the Apache helicopter attack video WikiLeaks released that show's the killing of twelve people including two journalists.  In the interview Stieber explains the incident was not a rare occurrence.

People of Kilcommon say they will not meet with Shell when Pat O'Donnell is in jail

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On Monday 409 of the residents of Kilcommon handed this letter into Shells office in Bulmullet refusing to meet with representatives of Shell while Pat O'Donnell remains in jail and the imposition of the Corrib gas project continues without community consent. The letters details a large number of grievances that the local community have with the imposition of the project, and states that people are refusing to meet with Shell while what “effectively amounts to ongoing and escalating physical and psychological harassement” continues in the area.

Artist? - submit artwork on the crisis for WSM magazine / poster

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Wanted!  An image that summates much of the recent recession, how we were screwed by a corrupt cartel of bankers, political cronies and financial rackateers.   Something that expresses our exasperation, how we are fighting back or struggling.  Something that cuts through the bullshit.

Dublin - A revolution in our lifetimes?

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2nd of the Rethinking Revolution sessions - Are we spending our precious time outside of work at protests and meetings because we want to improve our lives or are we just fighting for future generations. In either case what is it that we are trying to do as we move from topic to topic and struggle to struggle? Alan MacSimoin doesn't expect to see the glorious day while Andrew Flood is preparing for it being just around the corner.

Shell gas terminal blockaded in solidarity with Pat O'Donnell

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Around 25 activists have set up 2 blockades around the Shell Gas terminal in Bacton, Norfolk, UK in solidarity with Pat O'Donnell & the community in Rossport, Mayo and against the destruction of environment and communities by Shell world-wide.

Taft on the recession and ESRI report

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Michael Taft has provided a useful quick review of the ESRI Quaterly commentary and the contradictions with government claims over at his Notes on the Front blog.  He says this points at a "joyless an jobless" recovery

Public Sector deal - INTO Vote No Campaign launches new leaflet

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INTO Vote No posterThe INTO Vote No Campaign today launched a new, updated version of the leaflet calling on members of the union to reject the Public Sector deal. This leaflet will be distributed throughout the country at INTO information meetings and in school staffrooms in the coming weeks in advance of the ballot of members which takes place during May (closing date 21st May).

Dublin: Gluaiseacht Skillshare Weekend 23-25 April

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Seomra Spraoi are hosting a skill share weekend from this Friday for the environmental campaigning group Gluaiseacht.  One of the talks over the weekend is being given by a WSM member but several are being given by people and campaigns we have worked with in the last year.  The Oil & Gas Resources and Water Tax sessions are particular recommended.

Shell to Sea campaigner Niall Harnett jailed for 6 months

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Shell to Sea campaigner Niall Harnett was sentenced at Ballina on Wednesday to six months in Castlerea prison for protests against Shell's proposed experimental pipeline.  The sentence arose from Niall going to the aid of another Shell to Sea campaigner during a 'Reclaim the Beach' protest in 2008.  He also had a five month sentence confirmed by the court – these sentences will be served concurrently. Mr Harnett further had a two year driving ban affirmed. 

Images from the eirigi occupation of the Anglo Irish Bank

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Six activists from the left republican group eirigi occupied the premises of the Anglo Irish Bank on Stephen's Green this morning as part of a protest at the more than 30 billion that bank is taking off Irish workers as a result of NAMA.

Women jailed for not making credit union payments, prison governor resigns

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Mountjoy prison in Dublin during a Shell to Sea protestKathleen McMahon the governor of Mountjoy Prison's Dóchas Centre has resigned after 10 years in the job saying that the prison was chronically overcrowded. 137 women are crammed into a space designed for 85 many for 'low risk' crimes including failure to meet loan repayments to credit unions for which she says "they never should have been jailed." A number of Shell to Sea campaigners have also been jailed in Mountjoy over the last few months including four for trivial Public Order offences that were later struck out at their trial and where it was judged they had been subject to wrongful detention.

Shell planning 5km tunnel under Erris for experimental pipeline

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Shell's latest plan to impose its experimental gas pipeline in Kilcommon, Erris is to tunnel a 5km tunnel five metros under the seabed of Scruwaddacon Bay. This would however still leave many houses inside the blast radius in the event of a pipeline explosion that either ruptured this tunnel or along the 4km that would still be near the surface at landfall or between the bay and the refinery at Bellanaboy.

Radio Solidarity - Where we are coming from!

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This show is produced by the Workers Solidarity Movement.   The Aim of this show is to cover a range of issues and struggles that don’t get covered in the media.

We do not pretend to be unbiased.  We actively engage in politics and struggles to bring about change in society.  We hope to cover some of the issues which we think are live at the moment in Irish society.  We engage in those struggles and talk to others who are actively attempting to bring about change.

Will we see a revolution in our lifetime? - Audio from Rethinking Revolution 2

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Listening to Rethinking Revolution at Seomra SpraoiThis is the audio recording of the second 'Rethinking Revolution' meeting on the topic of 'Will there be a revolution in our lifetime.' "Are we spending our precious time outside of work at protests and meetings because we want to improve our lives or are we just fighting for future generations. In either case what is it that we are trying to do as we move from topic to topic and struggle to struggle?"

State Repression Continues in Mayo

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Local Mayo fisherman, Pat O Donnell, was sentenced to seven months in Castlerea prison in March for his role in campaigning against the Corrib gas pipeline and the corrupt deal that has given Shell access to Ireland’s gas fields. He has been consistently targeted by Shell and the Gardai, being falsely arrested on two occasions when Shell has attempted to carry out works in Mayo. This intimidation reached a pinnacle last summer when Pat's boat was boarded and then sank by four masked men. When he continued to stand up for his community, the state stepped in and imprisoned O’Donnell. He had the misfortune of living in the wrong place and not being part of the cosy cartel of businessmen, bankers and politicians who run this country.

Should the Catholic Church remain in control of our schools? - Thinking about Anarchism

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Despite the Catholic hierarchy’s shameful efforts to silence the survivors of abuse, we now have some idea of what was happening behind the walls of church-run institutions across Ireland. In the wake of this, many people have begun asking whether the Catholic Church should continue to have any control whatsoever over state-funded education. As it stands, the Church still control 92% of primary schools. However a MRBI/Irish Times poll in January of this year found that a majority of Irish people now want this situation remedied.

Successful International Women’s Day Celebration in Cork

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The Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) in Cork was delighted by the success of the Douglas Street Community Celebration of International Women’s Day on Monday, 8th March.  The day comprised of fifty free, open events involving poetry, music, workshops, speakers, fortune tellers, performance art, a community dinner, knitting club, films, a community art exhibition and much more. The celebration ran from 10am to midnight at Solidarity Books and many other venues on and around Douglas Street.

Iranian Protestors at War with God

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On Monday November 9th last year, news of the impending execution of Ehsan Fattahian, a 28-year-old Iranian political activist of Kurdish origins, began reaching the outside world. Human rights groups, caught unaware, began a frantic effort to halt the execution. In less than 24 hours, 15,000 people had signed an online petition addressing UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon, asking him to intervene.