Pretty Angry In Pink

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed2Qlxcoj60

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Scenes from today’s protest in Dublin against the imprisonment of five Irish Water protesters for contempt of court earlier this week.

The demonstrators gathered outside the Central Bank on Dame Street before they marched to Mountjoy Prison where several speeches were made – including one by Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy.

Those gathered were told that two jailed protesters – Derek Byrne and Paul Moore – have been refusing food since yesterday.

The Irish Times reported the number of people outside Mountjoy amounted to ‘up to 10,000’, while RTE reported the figure to be ‘over 5,000’.

Meanwhile, in Castlebar, Co. Mayo – where the Fine Gael National Conference is being held – a similar protest took place…

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Jailed anti-water protesters go on hunger strike, crowd hears (Kitty Holland, Irish Times)

Over 5,000 take part in demonstrations against jailed protesters (RTE)

Pics: Sam Boal/Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Videos: Mark Malone and Tír na Saor

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55 thoughts on “Pretty Angry In Pink”

    1. Eliot Rosewater

      It’s short for ‘the five that were sentenced to serve time in Mountjoy Prison’. Because, you know, there were five of them.

        1. Eliot Rosewater

          Kind of, I guess. All those groups are named because of the number that they consist of, but the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four included references to the towns that they were associated with. In this case, the five are just referred to as ‘the five’ as, I would assume, reference to ‘Dublin’ would be somewhat redundant.

          There is also the intention to link ‘the five’ to said other numerically associated groups based on the link to a perceived injustice in the Courts’ system.

  4. Small Wonder

    The idea that Ireland could have a thoughtful debate about the need for water conservation and investment in infrastructure seems like a distant fantasy now. The opportunity has been wasted and we’re left with stubborn toddler tantrums on both sides.

      2. Small Wonder

        Can I Clampers? Or might this debacle be more nuanced and less black and white as everyone seems to be making it out? But thanks for telling me where to direct my ire. I love a blame game.

  6. WOD

    I like the way the light cover on that Mountjoy Prison sign creates such a shadow that the light should be on all the time.

  7. Keith

    In fairness, it seems a bit disproportionate that someone would go on hunger strike over being jailed for a few weeks. I get it that its the principle that counts but I don’t think I get that either. They were ordered not to go near the guys installing the water meters. They did, presumably knowingly. They were jailed for it.

    Any efforts to tie this to some sort of conspiracy theory of political policing, bankers not being jailed, and the like, seem a bit far fetched to, and appear to require more of a leap of faith than a reading of the facts.

    1. Banotti

      Most people are seeing turning against these protesters and their childish tactics. Their complete lack of regard for democracy and calls to violence is worrying. .

      1. Zuppy International

        @ Banotti

        Are you alleging that the anti-water charge demonstrators are calling for violence?

        Provide proof of this claim or it fails.

        1. Zarathustra

          Don’t be disingenuous Zuppy, comments are being made within the context of the article, not the protesters in general.

        2. Banotti

          Absolutely. Head over the facebook pages of XXX says no, The Hub and a million other. Read the comments. Calling for attacks on politicians, media figures and Irish water staff.
          Here’s one from earlier. JB wins another battle.

          http://imgur.com/OcBBa2z

    2. More_Bermuda_than_Berlin

      In other countries, it might be called a conspiracy but in Ireland it’s public policy…

      And FG/Lab are damn proud of it.

    3. Nigel

      Well, they’re escalating, they’d be a bit dim not to spin it to maximise the outrage and injustice. The point is not to be outraged at the injustice of them being jailed, but that in order to object to a stupid, wasteful policy by our political overlords one has to push it to the point of going to jail. I think Irish people will largely refuse to make the connection between political dysfunction and protestor intransigence because it’s all a bit too real and on the nose. It’s embarrassing. We repress it the way we repress unwelcome emotions. There’s no conspiracy. The money is gone and will continue to go. That is fixed. The height of austerity, and all that money gone. The structures are in place. The contracts for the sinecures have been signed and are legally binding. When you look at what that says about the way you are governed you can either repress your anger or do something about it. The more you do the less support you receive because embarrassment and shame, old Catholic bugaboos, compete with the anger and if the shame and embarrassment win, then the anger is repressed. Shame and anger will defeat effective protest more surely than batons and tear gas. That’s what the government has going for them. No matter how revolted we are by them, it’s nothing compared to the prospect of the sheer embarrassment of supporting The Five.

        3. Corky Duke

          They broke a court order and this is the penalty. They knew the outcomes of their actions. Anyway, im sure they are happy to be in there visiting other family members and getting 3 square meals a day.

  11. phil

    Id have to think any Irish man that can go off food for a week, believes in something. Its a type of protest Im more inclined to take notice of.

    2. Lisa

      I think the hunger strike guy is Derek. I think he wears a hat saying ‘Je Suis Derek’; his intoxicating self-awareness will see him right.

  13. Soundings

    Amazing that the imprisoned protesters are being so ridiculed on here when between 4-10,000 (depending on whose estimates you believe) turned up without very much notice for a protest march yesterday. As for the hilarity surrounding the hunger strike, that may soon change, when’s the last time any commenter here didn’t eat for 72 hours, which is what these men are up to this evening.

    No word from Irish Water about registrations since the fiasco of the undeadline at the start of February. Do they have more than 50% of those who’ll be required to pay yet? Maybe, but I doubt it, they’d be shouting it from the rooftops if they did.

    Government seems to think that just because the protests a fortnight ago were smaller than in November, they have gotten Irish Water over the line. Let’s wait for 21st March.

  14. Confused, from Jobstown

    Broadshytees, lend me a hand…please.
    I want to e-mail Paul Murphy a question*, but I’m not on Facebook. His e-mail address is not listed amongst the rest of the embarassment of ‘representatives’ in Teachta Dail. I’ve looked on-line and keep ending up at Facebook. I need your help.
    A direct e-mail address would be very much appreciated.

    *Totally NOT related to Water Charges. I need to know his standpoint on a totally different issue, and reassure myself that my vote goes where I want it to go.

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