94 thoughts on “Meanwhile, In Rialto

  1. Mister Mister

    I think Broadsheet are just trolling for page clicks at this point.

    Anyone up for copying and pasting the same responses for every other story?

  2. Sinabhfuil

    Trouble is, Rialto isn’t very big. If there are two crews working one at either end of the village it would be more or less impossible to protest 20 metres (66 feet) away from them.

        1. Mister Mister

          No, there isn’t.

          For a very small amount of people who stepped across the line of a regular peaceful protest there was an injunction against protesting within 20 metres.

          Not sure if you’re serious though. But if you are it makes an interesting point in that the anti water protesters and organisers are somewhat successful in muddying the waters as to why those people were actually jailed.

          1. ollie

            Mister mister wrong again. the injunction applies to all protesters.
            govt appointed judges, govt policy applied. independent judiciary me ‘ole

          2. JimmytheHead

            +1 Ollie. Injunction applies to all IW workers, nothing to do with a select handful of protesters (who have already been arrested).

            Careful using the truth against Mister, hes not a big fan.

          3. Mister Mister

            No, I’m not like you guys. I’ll put my hands up and admit when I’m wrong. I was aware that “an injunction restraining the defendants from assaulting, harassing, intimidating, endangering or otherwise unlawfully interfering with or obstructing workers lawfully installing meters in Dublin city.”

            I was however unaware of the “or anyone with knowledge of the court order, ” clause within it.

            You see, I’m an adult guys, that’s what us adults do. Try it.

          4. JimmytheHead

            *spoiler alert*

            “Under the 2007 Water Services Act, a water services authority can seek injunctive relief in the courts against “obstructors” or anyone who interferes with the work of a water services authority.”

  3. Steve

    I support water charges so the below is biased. But what’s always with the tricolour / Celtic jackets / dubs jerseys at various protests?? I’m sure there are lots of our new immigrant friends, like the polish, Nigerian etc. who are against domestic water charges. Ireland, nowadays , is more than the tricolour.

    I suppose I’m rambling on about our slight uneasiness with the tricolour/ nationalist garb in general, maybe due to NI conflict. My main point (sorry) ,
    I think it weakens the anti water charge cause.

    1. ahjayzis

      The large skanger contingent is the answer. Yer man Byrne is case in point. Inarticulate raving idiot.

      I support protesting and boycotting IW, but these howya’s do their cause no favours.

      1. Francis Almond

        It’s this type of comment and attitude that is the saddest and most revealing part of these protests. Together people can make a difference, divided we’ll get more of the same.
        If you really were a supporter of this campaign and for the type of social change that is being called for you would not refer to people as ‘skangers’ or ‘howyas’. What a disgusting and insulting way to refer to someone because of the way they sound or the way they look.
        Replace those words with ‘jew’, ‘faggot’ or ‘nigger’ and you’ll have a clearer picture of the type of person you are.

        1. ahjayzis

          He’s not a skanger because he’s poorer than me, he’s a skanger because of the way he acts and treats his opponents. I won’t associate or align myself with a dimwit who calls political opponents things like ‘midget parasite’ – because that person has already lost the argument.

          I’m a supporter of a campaign against the IW regime (not necessarily water charges as an absolute), not total scobes doing their best to undermine that campaign by acting like the schoolyard slackjaws they never grew out of. Paul Murphy himself even condemned this tool’s actions.

          Does your revolution demand we all stand up for dregs like this in order to be on your side? Kind of backs up the whole ‘splitting left’ meme – support an inarticulate, aggressive wanker or you’re part of the problem. Vive la resistance!

          1. Francis Almond

            You’ve lost the argument when you label people as ‘skangers, scobes, howyas and dregs’. Change your language.

          2. Nigel

            No, he’s lost because he’s more afraid of being embarrassed by the people on his side than of bad governance. There’s a lot of it about.

          3. ahjayzis

            Sigh…

            Okay, any ignorant, aggressive, belligerent, scaldy old person can espouse a political position vaguely similar to mine and I promise I’ll condone every action and utterance he or she makes.

            I’m sure this cretin hasn’t damaged the cause in any way. ‘Middle Ireland’ loves a rude tosser you’d probably cross the road to avoid and will always fall into line behind them.

        2. Paolo

          “Replace those words with ‘jew’, ‘f***t’ or ‘n***er’ and you’ll have a clearer picture of the type of person you are.”

          What a STUPID comment. These people are above criticism? Why is it ok to call our elected president a parasite but it is not ok to call a, demonstrably, stupid and ignorant low-life a skanger?

    2. rotide

      “Ireland, nowadays , is more than the tricolour”

      Were we given a new flag while I was asleep? I’m sure our new immigrant friends as more than happy to live under the flag of their new home .

      You’re always going to get people waving the flag to support their agendas, particularly this one.

      Of course you could call them welfare leechers with nothing better to do but you’d get in trouble.

    3. Francis Almond

      How would you style the protestors Steve?
      If you believe the tricolour and Celtic jerseys ‘weakens the anti water charge cause’ it says more about your prejudices than any concern you might have for the campaign .

      1. Steve

        Nah not being prejudice, people can wear what they want. My comment was more a reference to our general uneasiness (IMO) with overt nationalism coz of NI conflict.

        Wearing this stuff, flying flags at these protests, seems (again IMO) to be a little on the side of “only real irish people are against water charges”…or “you dishonour this flag if you support water charges”. Which isn’t the case.

        1. Francis Almond

          If that’s your perception Steve why don’t you go protest in a shirt and tie & bring some flag you’d be happy to associate with.
          I’ve marched in water protests behind gay pride flags, Galway flags and GAA flags (wearing the clothes I wear every day, I’m stylish but in a sports casual way) and I’ve been accepted. I’ll bet if you leave your perceived opinions at home you’ll be accepted too. Try it, it’s empowering.

          1. Steve

            You’re really missing my point. Firstly I support water charges so I won’t be campaigning against them. But my main point is that the use of all the nationalist/republican garb implies that only real irish people support the anti water charge campaign.

        2. Francis Almond

          I understand your argument Steve but I don’t share either your opinion or perspective about the tricolour or indeed Celtic jerseys.
          In my opinion people should be allowed to protest using the Irish flag and dress in Celtic shirts. I don’t see this as ‘a claim’ (as you perceive it to be) for a nationalist or republican agenda. I see it as people dressing in a jersey of a club they (I would imagine) love since childhood and protesting under a flag they own.
          I feel I own that flag because I’m Irish and my grandparents fought for me to have it. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to share it. I’m not ashamed to be Irish and I’m certainly not ashamed of the tricolour.
          Ps. I had a Celtic jersey as a child but that was more to do with my idolatry of Kenny Dalglish than of any real interest in Scottish football

    4. Kevin M

      Why are you uneasy about the tricolour? It’s your flag and it’s their flag. As far as I know there are many people from Poland/eastern europe involved. If you think the Irish people never protested and are apathetic, you must remember that not that long ago in Poland etc you would simply disappear if you protested.

      Also, the only people i’ve seen wearing balaclavas are the water meter installers.

      1. Nigel

        He’s uneasy because of the history of violent nationalism with which it is associated. He said it right there. You can keep pretending that this uneasiness doesn’t exist but that won’t make it so.

        1. Steve

          @francis, ok grand so we can agree to disagree.

          I don’t wear Celtic gear /parade tricolour coz it’s a personal choice (I feel uneasy) but I fully support others right to do so. And supporting water charges doesn’t make less irish , less connected to this country.

          You can say it makes me others things (a fool, a FG stooge etc.) but that’s a different matter…which I’m happy to argue. :)

        2. Ultach

          As opposed to the historically totally unviolent nationalism associated with the flags of the UK, USA, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Ukraine …

          1. Steve

            Ultach your profile pic fails to recognise a separate state on this island, which contains about a half a million people who, since the 1600’s, are happy to stay part of the United Kingdom.

          2. Nigel

            ‘As opposed to?’ Not sure where I passionately extolled the utterly and singularly unique association of violent nationalism with the Irish flag and NO OTHER FLAG ANYWHERE WHATSOEVER EVER. But I guess I must have since otherwise your reply is a bit of a non sequitur.

      2. Neilo

        Don’t know if you’ve checked the thermometer lately but it’s a little brisk out there – particularly for IW meter installers and all other outdoor workers. Balaclavas would come in handy even if you don’t want to go full Fonejacker.

    1. Rompsky

      Which rights are those again? I’m pretty sure we democratically elected a party that had water charges in its manifesto, no?

        1. Soundings

          But these are the sorts of thing you say during an election. My personal favorite was Enda predicting in December 2010 the billions he was going to save by burning senior bondholders. And didn’t Noonan castigate Lenihan in December 2010 about paying unsecured bondholders. Now, dem’s proper jokes.

      1. Mister Mister

        No place for facts Rompsky when it comes to this. Soundbites only please, preferably inaccurate or irrelevant.

  4. Unreconstructed

    Quite wonderful to see ordinary people engaged and willing to get up and protest. Snide comments about Celtic jerseys, punctuation and such betray a sickening classist attitude. A certain section of the community have been hit hardest by the recession and these are the people energised to protest. Should this surprise anyone? Anyone remotely interested in justice and fairness would wish them well. They can use the flag of the Republic as they represent the true spirit of that Republic.

    1. Steve

      “As they represent the true spirit of that republic”.

      That’s debatable. I would disagree…see my point above.

    2. Paolo

      It’s not “classist” to insist on correct grammar and spelling. Last time I checked, we had free primary education in this country. Aspiring to basic standards is not something to be ashamed of.

  5. Anomanomanom

    Well if that moron Derek wants to starve himself in prison let him. One less scrounger on the purse strings.

    1. Soundings

      What’s he up to now? 96 hours without food? Any idea what that does to your body? Where are the jokes about “could stand to lose a few kgs” now?

        1. Joe the Lion

          No way- we’ve already paid for him to have something to eat. We’re not putting on two sittings for dinner at Wheatfield prison just for this guy. We are where we are. At this moment in time. Going forward.

  6. dan

    Surely arrested for defacing the Irish Flag, no?

    Annoying to see so many people with such little respect for our national flag.

    1. ahjayzis

      Refreshing that people don’t venerate a piece of cloth.
      This ain’t the jingoistic US of A, unquestioning reverence to the flag, the army and the buffet table.

  7. wearnicehats

    Those people are in jail because they broke the law. Whether you think they should have been in court in the first place is irrelevant. They were and they were told not to do it again. They were also told what would happen if they did do it again. They did it again. There’s no injustice here just the stupidity of people who would be better off cutting back on a few jars and smokes and paying their taxes instead. Ironically they’ll probably save enough money in their 28 days in prison to enable them to do so.

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