Lee: “The simple answer? Because I love my country.”
Steven Bennett, 40: “To fight for the people and help be a voice for the 99 per cent.”
Mark, 32: “I’m a big reader of history so it’s obvious to me what will happen if nobody stands up and says ‘stop’.”
Dara Molloy, 28. “As Ghandi says: ‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world’.”
Sharon Barry, 39: “I am here for my children.”
Freya Johnson, 25: “I came here because my boyfriend was here but I am staying because it is genuinely inspiring.”
Finbar Markey, 36: “The culmination of a life’s experiences and learning and to be part of a global movement for change.”
Christy, 47: “I was made redundant two years ago and lost everything.”
Rob Wilson, 37: “I am here because of the failure of our government to protect its people and our soveriegnty.”
Aubrey Robinson , 30: “I am fed up where this country is going and I wanted to make a positive step.”
Eric Barry (with mum Sharon, above), 12: “I am here because I’m not old enough to borrow money but I still owe money on what happened. It’s not the real world.”
Some of the protesters camping outside the Central Bank on Dame Street, Dublin.
Photographed on Sunday, October 30 for Broadsheet by Malachy Geelan.
Loving the 1930s Dustbowl photo effect.
Lovely tones alright.
Yeah, how come everyone looks so freckled and down beat?
Because they’re sleeping on the street?
well done, real heroes
Fair play to all of them. Hope they keep the faith and that the career protesters, desperate to recreate Seattle ’99 to feed their egos, don’t ruin it for them
Ah but they’re lovely pictures to be fair.
I don’t know why people are getting so irate about the crusties though? It keeps them off the country roads of Corrib and allows Shell get on with their important work.
At the end of the day, ODS is irrelevant, no one is really paying attention to them. Yea, we’ve to put up with the unsightly morass of squalid raggedy tents outside of the Central Bank, and yea, the bang off the place is something awful, but other than that – so what?
No one cares about what they’re doing, they don’t matter, and they’re totally harmless. Leave them at it. Everyone needs a hobby.
I mean, they think everyone cares, but really, no one does. So if we don’t care, act like we don’t care. Ignore them. (They hate that)
That is a lot words for someone that says no one cares :)
Are you more used to picture books?
uhm. excuse me. i am an outsider. but, you are paying for junk bondholders, sir. and that’s ok with you?
It’s better than the alternative.
I am here because I have nothing better to do.
I assume you’re talking about being here on Broadsheet.
Zing!
Its a great cause and i fully support them, the sad thing its they are totally powerless and the government are just going to fully ignore them like they have to every other Irish person’s needs for the past couple of years
Hope disappears when you say there’s none
Do you honestly think standing outside a bank will change anything?
What are you doing?
If you are the 99%, then you have 99% of the votes.
Why do the other guys have the power?
Because you were too lazy, too apathetic, too self-interested to get in the game before it came to your door, became your problem.
I believe a change is needed, I believe that greed has driven all of Western Society to the precipice, but I don’t believe that Occupying without a clear goal is the answer.
Strap on some boots and get in the game.
When you played football on the street, if some lad came to play and hacked the shins off you, you couldn’t cry and go home.
You hacked back. You played the game the way it was being played.
Stand up. Organise. Get ready. There’s local elections in 2014 and a General in 2016.
If you want to change the system, do it from within.
Don’t sit outside crying that the other boys won’t play fair.
Get up and give them a fat lip.
+1
Recent Pres elections and Referendums only had a 50% (roughly) turnout. So who are the other 50%? How many of these voted?
+1
I admire their spirit but they seem ill-informed. They’ve also by not letting any party involvement divided the left – who together offer them the only chance of delivering their demands to date.
The left does not represent the 99% whatever you might think and most ppl I know are not particularly supportive of the movement as they see it as a front for more bullshit from the SWP and others. Whilst they are angry at the way the government and banks have behaved the know that the solution does not lie with the SWP and their kind.
Their trying to distance themselves from the SWP as much as possible as far as I know. So it’s definitely not a front for them.
that’s true Carlos, that’s incorrect Carlton – your friends have been misinformed, tell them to pop down and see for themselves, talk to the people there.
Really good video of SWP trying to co-op the occupy dame street movement
http://vimeo.com/31301133
SWP big guns waited until after 3 weeks camping and organising had exhausted a lot of campers. Very very low tactic
cheers bar, was reading about it last night
My point was not that my friends believe it is a front for the SWP but that much of the noise they are hearing from the camp sounds too similar. Most my friends recognise the absolute failure of governement and the banks but they also see the issue is far more complex than just blaming them. They see the part society as a whole played both in electing said governments, in the culture that pervades society, etc.. but they also recognise the reality that capitalism has provided a level of wealth beyond anything known in the history of man. Too many (not all I must add) in the occupy family seem to be of the sort that wishes to rid the world of “the evils of capitalism” but yet have no viable alternative that will not send us back to the middle ages. Ppl I know recognise the benefits the world has accrued. Whilst expressing ones anger at the current mess is completely justified it does not help us in any way. What most ppl want to see is some leadership, for someone or group to stand up with a credible and realistic vision of where society can go and the roadmap of how to get there. I think the general consensus is that although the camp is well intentioned, it will have no real impact and is not in fact capturing the publics imagination, this despite the pain they are suffering from the economic meltdown. It’s all just a sideshow without any real solutions.
Fair enough Carlton but you did say your friends saw it as a front for the SWP, I just responded to that.
I’d say give it time, the same criticisims or observations were levelled at the movement in Wall St and Oakland for instance but as time progressed they have garnered the support of the majority of US people (in polls I’ve seen). Oakland was beaten out of the park, they came back the following day and took the park peacefully and now have the support of the mayor there and are engaging in action tomorrow.
for anyone who needs real-time information, check out the #occupydamestreet.org site for the minutes that are discussed, also regarding whether this movement will have effect or not, bare in mind this is just the beginning of a revolution, with all the occupys going on worldwide in collaboration with each-other, growing bigger and stronger each day, we the people hold the true power and once enough people catch on to this, CHANGE WILL HAPPEN
You are naive if you think voting changes anything or will change anything.
Total nonsense. If people do not feel that the politicians represent them, they should get out themselves and put their ideas forward. We had a significant number of indep’s in the last election but unless you get coherent and unified blocs they will be largely ineffective The problem for you activist (your choice of name gives away alot in fact) is that when it comes down to the crunch most ppl probably do not share your worldview. What people have to realise is that the public actually has far more power than many think. We can vote politicians in and out. Large corporations depend on our money for their wealth, we can decide which are successful and which are not through our purchasing power. McDonalds thrives because most ppl have no problem eating there and enjoy doing so. Large global multinationals have now started turning “green” because their customers demand it and therefore it is most profitable for them to do so. All the power is in our hands, we just need to use it.
What do you suggest then Activist? besides standing outside a bank.
p.s. If you do go to the bother of answering that question (thank you if you do), please be specific and not declare some broad statement like ‘stand up for what you believe in.’ If you don’t mind.
you changed the church. what makes you think you can’t change the government?
The Church hasn’t “changed”. It’s actually exactly the same as ever.
The influence of the Church over people has changed, however, because people stopped paying heed to priests, going to mass, etc. Are you suggesting we just start ignoring the law and stop using banks?
Great plan. Let me know how that goes for you.
I always cried and went home.
No one would be occupying any street if there wasn’t a hysterical reaction to e-voting . If you can make 5 choices from 50 options and then add 2 amendments from 11 options doing the euromillions, surely there must be some program that can be designed by some of our unemployed college graduates that can be employed to vote on any issue of public interest at any time. Then there would be no excuse for complaining about lack of democracy. We need to participate in our democracy at all times
Good point technology should play a bigger part in what we currently call democracy. Half the developed world uses facebook. An open source technology centred improvement on decision making would i believe make it harder for politicians to lie in campaigns and then renege on their promises once elected.
Government by committee. Rubbish. We elect leaders to lead, we just aren’t very good as a nation at choosing the right ones or producing decent candidates in the first place. Maybe the next generation will be better but reading the simplisitic musings of ppl on this site I won’t hold my breath on that one.
I’d be waiting for an e-vote that didn’t go the way ppl wanted before claims of corruption of the results by dark forces with comp hackers/manipulators.
What game?
Superb photojournalism.
Great photos.
Protesting against human nature. Amazing well done lads.
Greed caused the meltdown. Greed is deep inside us all.
spas.
A plant for the one percent, I see.
Give me an example of a protest of this nature that has ever worked in this country?
How much longer is it going to be until they do? The next hairshirt budget you’ll so gladly shed money for? Eh?
Carnsore Point in the seventies stopped the building of a nuclear power station. Also, no one can tell me that the civil rights movement didn’t lead to changes in attitudes.
The Civil Rights Movement were not ‘protests of this nature’ in ‘this country’ as Mark F was referring to. There is historical precedent successful for non-violent protest to be sure. But “Occupy’ is not a boycott of anything, like the Birmingham Buses. There is no legislation being fought for (the point of the civil rights movement) and the bombings, burnings, assassinations that scarred the Deep South at the time mean that while marches occurred, the movement was hardly nonviolent. And knee jerk reactions of the masses to the very valid form of energy production that is nuclear power are hardly something to trumpet as an accomplishment. So, while I’m not telling you ‘the civil rights movement didn’t lead to changes in attitudes.’, I am suggesting you’ve not really addressed his point in a meaningful way.
“I am here for my children”
- and who is looking after your children right now?
She has one child with her. And it’s mid-term break. Perhaps the others are old enough to be on their own, or just stewing in front of the telly and playing video games, like the majority of kids?
My Partner is looking after my children
Well aren’t you just blindingly sexist.
+1
I’d prefer them in colour, the black and white seems like it’s trying too hard to reference something else, or if not, it’s just a lazy choice.
Nice portraits though.
Water cannon ?
Pissant.
he’ll be back in school next week
+1 on the somewhat lazy referencing, giving the images a nostalgic and mythologising patina.
wow you’re smart.
Yes I agree.
For those of you working or living in Dublin there’s a demo throughout lunchtime, in conjunction with the Occupy movement, at the Dept of Finance. here’s the info from the facebook page, apologies for format. (as always it would be better for you to get involved and voice your opinions than be afraid to get involved and remain a hurler on the ditch)
On Tuesday 1st November at noon #occupydamestreet will, in answer to a call from those involved in the ongoing Ballyhea Bondholder Bailout marches, protest outside the Department of Finance.
We will be protesting against the imminent repayment of an unsecured Anglo Irish Bank bond of E700,000,000 due to take place on the 2nd November. We consider this an odious debt which the Irish State and citizens have no obligation to pay. The amount of this bond payment would pay the salaries of about 2,500 extra nurses for five years; or cover one-fifth of the cuts and tax increases planned for the 2012 budget: or cover the entire cost of the new national children’s hospital.
This bond repayment is happening ONLY because we’re allowing it to happen. Let’s take a stand and encourage others to speak out on this issue.
Further Information at the following links: http://thechatteringmagpie14.blogspot.com/
http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/what-would-happen-if-anglo-didn%E2%80%99t-repay-the-1bn-bond-maturing-on-2nd-november-2011-part-1-of-2/
http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/what-would-happen-if-anglo-didn%E2%80%99t-repay-the-1bn-bond-maturing-on-2nd-november-2011-part-2-of-2/
http://www.irisheconomy.ie/index.php/2011/10/27/anglo-bonds-no-cost-to-taxpayer-talking-point-gets-full-rollout/
Just more supersocialist bullshit. You guys lost the election; you are not the 99%; you’re not even the 50%.
Festival season is over. Do some f*cking work.
God I love you.
Very lazy comments there Moo Cow. It’s not a “supersocialist” movement, it’s non-alligned politically, not that objecting to Ireland bailing out German banks or having our oil and gas handed away are particularly socialist ideas anyway. The issues we’ve highlighted do appear to be appealing to 99%, so they should to you too because you’re not in the 1%.
Being a dirty protestor living in a tent and farting about all day just doesn’t seem like a reasonable way of making a point to me.
Put together a clear mandate, with reasonable, realistic solutions and clean yourself up. Form an organisation, or hell, a political party. Run for office.
But no, playing happy-hippy-fun-camp in the city centre is about as much as we’ll get from these wasters.
Very ignorant to pass a judgement without having made the slightest attempt to understand what is going on. If you looked into it you would see the reason they are there is to work on solutions, these are a group of people who have randomly come together and didnt know each other before so it will take time to organise themselves and find the solutions you are looking for. Give it time.
“They should to you too because you’re not in the 1%”
Seriously, drop this 99% crap. They do not represent me and I’m certainly not in this famed “1%” they so villainise.
Most people I speak to can’t stand this hippy-fest and they’re you’re average Irish citizen.
This “group” represent very few people.
And herein lies the rub: all those fancy things called ‘elections’ and ‘democracy’ don’t mean a fiddler’s fart. 150 odd years or so of mass democracy in the west has proved as much. What happens is that the vested monied interests capture the system and use it for their own benefit. Getting elected to the Dail and especially as an independent means you can change diddly squat. If you’re in a party, you better stick to the party line or else. Whilst you and others are busy pushing the ‘dirty hippy smelly’ line at anyone who dares stand up and point out the obvious, the emperor still has no clothes. The acquiescence is terrifying.
Razor blades????????????
Has no-one noticed the son of a rather recent ex-president in there?? There’s hardly two Aubrey Robinsons in Ireland, are there……
Damn you – you just got in before me – I was thinking the same thing. He has the look of his mother about him.
Well spotted – if he believes camping out in front of the Central Bank would do more good than talking to his ma then someone failed very badly somewhere.
if he thought talking to his ma would do more good than being politically active I’d think she’s failed him.
2 right!
Robinson is a very good photographer – his NCAD exhibition earlier this year was quite brilliant
http://news.ncad.ie/?p=403
Exactly
Ah here, give him a break. How would you feel if yer ma was in a supergroup called The Elders with Bono.
Drawing attention to Aubrey is only going to acheive one thing: Filling page 3 of tomorrow’s Irish Daily Mail (and a small bit on the front cover). What was it today? Ah yes, Jean Byrne turns up at party with 50 year old black man with dreadlocks. FFS.
The SWP are trying to take over this movement in the same way as Ron Paul and the Republican Libertartian movement have tried to infiltrate the Occupy Wall Street. When will idealogues realise that their days are numbered and this is something new? Not just anti-capitalist activists or End the Fed style rightwingers but everybody from all sides of the political divide are taking part in this movement. Here is a video I made a couple of weeks ago along the same lines as this excellent photomontage. I like to think “the Union” Billy Bragg is singing about is beyond the idealogies which everybody in the 99% can be part of if they choose. It is not SIPTU, IMF, EU or FF/FG but everybodywho owns this country and its resources not just banks and their lackies in corporations/governments- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=903Li-3wZlM
Here’s one. Why don’t we all, en-masse, join Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Surely they won’t turn millions of new members. Then we, the 99%, are running the parties….
Because after the last few decades a lot of people believe that deeply entrenched power structures within the parties will co-opt and turn any youthful, idealistic or even pragmatic effort at meaningful changes within the parties and within parliamentary politics. People haven’t simply lost faith in the system. I think returning Fianna Fail again and again and again represented a loss of faith in the system. They now think the system is actively malignant and self-serving and getting involved in it means becoming a part of it. That’s why. Maybe.
why do some of you think they’re ill-informed, they seem to know their stuff to me. they’re becomign a magnet for people with information, interesting times ahead. and they have no intention of leaving. my full support.
I think not allowing lefty parties that share their general ideas about what went wrong in this country join them is a mistake. It’s hardly like they are the system. And to be honest would give them a bit of focus too. What’s the point in dividing a group that’s already marginalised in society?
It’s very simple. OCD is non-alligned to any political party to keep it as inclusive as possible. As soon as any party politics starts holding sway it stops being open to all as individuals who don’t agree with said party’s views will leave. There are people from all backgrounds and views, so this obsession with “THE LEFT” isn’t what we’re about. We will talk to all groups and may work with them on certain issues, but it will remain an inclusive movement for individuals. The only group so far that has shown us any hostility is the SWP, and since we are against the governments policies and actions many people are seriously questioning the SWP’s motives, funding and objectives.
Well said Robin. That is exactly why.
“There are people from all backgrounds and views”
Reeeeeally? Really though???
Are there reeeeeally any right wing/conservative people there?
Fantastic pics…. very emotive.
Really like the black and white pictures, great photojournalism
we are doing it for you
Great photographs, great idea, great execution. Instagram apps just don’t cut it when it comes to capturing such resolve. And what’s pissing off so many people is that they don’t look depressed or angry (disclosure: Aubrey obviously having a bad hair day). Fair dues to them.
For everyone above commenting on the SWP, it’s always worth mentioning their hilariously opportunistic leaflet when Joe Higgins and Clare Daly of the very-much-different-party Socialist Party were imprisioned.
‘FREE THE SOCIALISTS!’ it read, along with ‘JOIN THE SOCIALISTS!’ and contact details for the SWP!. Typical of them to try and get a new member or two out of just about everything.
Think the folks on Dame St. see through them.
The SWP are the biggest obstacle to popular protest in this country. They ruin everything. You’d swear they were undercover Right.
I’m lost. Who or what are the SWP? Are they the same as the WSM?
Nope. SWP are electoral, WSM (Workers Solidarity Movement / wsm.ie ) do not contest elections owing to their anarchist politics.
Ireland is weird in that you’ve two Trot parties (Joe Higgins’ SP on one hand and RBB’s SWP on the other), and people always mix them up of course.
Personally, I’ll never vote for anyone beyond The People’s Front Of Judea again.
I’m sure there’s been the usual raft of young Fine Gaelers on here painting all protests as pointless for fear of the unwashed masses getting organised and taking control of this country at last.