Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
November 2010
Céad míle fáilte to the IMF - protest song audio & video
Date: Tue, 2010-11-23 13:10
With the IMF in Ireland, a WSM member has written a song of 'welcome', a recording of which and the lyrics of which are below. For international readers "céad míle fáilte" means "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes" and is a traditional greeting now strongly associated with the tourist industry. You can read WSM articles about the IMF intervention and the economic crash that led to it in our Capitalist Crisis article listing.
Céad míle fáilte - To the IMF
We hope we meet you on the streets - To fight you to the death.
And we know how you got here - Back room deal and open arms
As you try to suck the life from us - With your structural reforms
Anarchism and Religion
Date: Tue, 2010-11-23 16:42
Workers Solidarity Movement position paper on Anarchism and Religion as ratified at November 2010 National Conference.
Cork: The Land War - Winter Talks Solidarity Books
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 11:47
Finbarr Dwyer of Irish history podcasts fame, a Dublin based archaeologist and member of the Workers Solidarity Movement he will speak on the subject of the Land War that saw mass mobilisation, direct action and a lot more besides.
The Land War 25th November 8pm - Number 5
8pm Solidarity Books 43 Douglas Street, Cork
A radical analysis of the IMF/ECB four year plan and call to action
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 15:11
Today the government announced the details of the four year plan required as part of the ECB / IMF ‘bailout’ of the banks. There will be five billion worth of new taxes and 10 billion worth of cuts under this so called ‘National Recovery’ which in reality will take 10% out of GDP. As we show below almost all these costs are being dumped on workers, particularly low paid workers, the very sector that gained little or nothing during the boom years. the richest 1% are left with most of their legal tax dodges in particular the ability to avoid paying tax at all if they spend 6 months on holidays out of the country.
Resistance is Fertile - Radio Solidarity Program 8.
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 16:34
In this program, Podcast available here on Near podcast site, 
we bring your a report from the Walking tour undertaken by the 1% network through the Golden Circle in Dublin 2,4. A map is contained here.
The 4 year Plan will further destroy the health service
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 17:06
While the state continues to be rocked by the result of devastating effects of 10 years of rampant capitalism crashing the focus has been conveniently been shifted from the serious problems within our health service. A common belief is that before things get better they must get worse and under the 4 year plan they are about to get a lot worse. In the case of a health service this couldn’t be further from the truth. The obvious result of a worsening health service is higher national morbidity and mortality. Are we prepared to allow this to occur?
Why Ireland should default on the loan sharks now
Date: Wed, 2010-11-24 17:28
The so called rescue loan being negotiated by the ECB is really a jacking up of the interest rate Ireland is paying on its debt from the ECB base rate of 1% to a more profitable rate of 5% or more. If we submit to this deflationary programme of structural adjustment being pushed by the IMF our shrinking economy will never generate enough to pay off these debts. The only way out is to push for a default.
General Strike needed to take political power from the wealthy elite – 1% Network Press release
Date: Thu, 2010-11-25 00:11
The 1% Network has called on all workers to attend the march organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on Saturday morning next to “show their opposition to the anti-people policies of the Irish government, the European Central Bank and the IMF”.
Anglo Irish Banks Junior Bonds Haircut Leads to Small Bang
Date: Thu, 2010-11-25 17:08
Recently bond holders in Anglo Irish Banks agreed to a voluntary reduction to 20% of face value on 2017 junior bonds. This morning the ISDA Determiniation Comittee (International Swaps and Derivatives Association) announced that this constituted a restructuring credit event, triggering CDSs (Credit Default Swaps) on Anglo Irish Bank. Restructuring credit events trigger what is known as the "Small Bang Protocol" for CDSs which cover some events which are not complete defaults.
Markets give thumbs down to 4 year plan
Date: Thu, 2010-11-25 17:13
Today the markets gave their reaction to the government's 4 year austerity plan unveiled yesterday. They were not impressed. Irish soverign bond prices plunged again and Europe's biggest clearing house, LCH.Clearnet, raised the margin call on Irish sovereign debt for the third time this month.
The republican tradition - a place to build from?
Date: Fri, 2010-11-26 12:16
Ireland has an indigenous revolutionary tradition that successfully mobilized tens if not hundreds of thousands in the struggle for more freedom over the 200 years since 1798. Irish republicanism has always included a radical democratic and leveling element and which continues to provide part of the culture of resistance of the most down trodden sections of the working class. Many believe this makes it the best base to build from, at the fifth Rethinking Revolution meeting Andrew Flood asked if they are right? This article contains the draft text of the talk and the audio recording of the meeting.
Solidarity with the Irish people demonstration called in Paris for tomorrow
Date: Fri, 2010-11-26 15:14
Anarkismo.net has announced that a demonstration is being held in Paris, France tomorrow to coincide with the ICTU demonstration in Dublin under the slogan of 'Solidarity with the Irish people'. The demonstrations called by 8 French organisations will be taking place at the European Union offices of bld Saint Germain, the organisers include the WSM's sister Anarkismo group in France, Alternative Libertaire.
Dublin: Join 1% Network on the ICTU march
Date: Fri, 2010-11-26 16:46
We want to make the 1% rich pay, not the compromise of 'fairer' cuts.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions have called a national demonstration on 27th November in Dublin which will see tens of thousands take to the streets. But many are very unhappy with the ICTU leadership and a march called on the basis of 'fairer' cuts and a return to the disastrous policy of Social Partnership. The 1% Network will be taking part in the demonstration - not to support the demands of the ICTU leadership, but to outline what we see as the alternative. This is not in the expectation that the ICTU leadership can be convinced but because we want to make the argument to the thousands of workers who will take part that it is up to all of us to organise what is needed, a general strike, despite that leadership.
Don't Let Lies Defeat The Protest Movement
Date: Fri, 2010-11-26 20:36
This article was written prior to the big ICTU anti-cuts demonstration of November 2010 and in the afterfath of a large anti-student fees demonstration where a two thousand strong militant breakaway was attacked by Gardaí.
An article headlined "Gardaí on alert for Dublin protest" published this evening on the Irish Times website is a clear attempt by the political establishment to divide protesters and create an atmosphere of fear amongst those attending.
Garda Chief Supt Michael O'Sullivan is quoted as saying “there are individuals and groups who seek to exploit such events for their own ends”. This is a globally recognised police tactic of trying to divide the movement into "good" and "bad" protesters. This follows weeks on from disturbances at the national student march where Gardaí in riot gear launched an unprovoked attack on demonstrators.
Anarchists and Gardaí agree over dangerous elements in the Crowds.
Date: Fri, 2010-11-26 23:23
The WSM welcomes the statement by Chief Superintendent Michael O'Sullivan about the groups and individuals who wish to exploit the fact that thousands will be on the street tomorrow, and use that for their own ends.
ICTU can't be trusted to organise a general strike
Date: Sat, 2010-11-27 09:18
Tens of thousands will take part in today's ICTU demonstration in Dublin but the demonstration is seen by ICTU’s leaders as yet another one-off protest, another ‘letting-off-steam’ exercise, a trek around town from A to B to listen to speeches from the same people that have misled us to this position and then go home and get ready to vote for Labour in the forthcoming election. Far from ‘standing idly by’ they are actively working to demobilise opposition to the government. Against this we need to use today's protest as the starting point for the conversation about what we’re going to replace the current rotten mess with and as the first block in building for the general strike that we need to bring that about.
Hundred thousand demonstrate against the four year plan
Date: Sun, 2010-11-28 14:37
Despite freezing temperatures, an estimated one hundred thousand people were on the streets of Dublin today to take part in the ICTU demonstration against the draconian four year plan, which is raising taxes on low paid workers, slashing wages, social services and cutting social welfare. The WSM took part in the demonstration with the 1% Network, highlighting the wealthy 1% of the population who own 34% of the wealth, and pointing out that only a general strike can force them to back down from making us pay the full costs of the crisis.
Secret police disguised as protesters at ICTU demonstration?
Date: Mon, 2010-11-29 16:25
Many of the hundred thousand plus people who took part in Saturday's demonstration against the IMF/ECB four year plan would be disturbed to know that mixed among them were a number of secret police disguised as protesters. And it appears these Special Branch operatives were among the small breakaway march to the Dail that occurred after the main protest and which some media outlets seized on as 'proof' of the violence the Garda and that section of the media had been hyping in advance of the protest.
"Did you boo Jack O'Connor then?
Date: Mon, 2010-11-29 18:46
Dublin Saturday 27th November 100,000 on ICTU march. I was there and I heard the booing.
Got back to Cork late Saturday, after an icy drive down the motorway. Visiting a friends house after coming back , relating the story from the day. "Did you boo Jack O'Connor then?" says one.
Students currently protesting at Anglo Irish Bank in Galway
Date: Mon, 2010-11-29 19:21
Free Education for Everyone (FEE) has begun a peaceful protest at Anglo Irish Bank on Forster street, Galway, calling for an immediate General Election. FEE places the blame for Ireland’s current economic situation directly on the Fianna Fail politicians, who refused to regulate the financial system, and on the bankers, who took advantage of the lack of regulation to gamble on the markets. Once those bets fell through the Irish people were threatened: that failing to bail out the bankers would result in national ruin.