Irish Water protestor Derek Byrne

Derek Byrne.

He’s sorry he called the President a ‘midget parasite’.

He freely admits he himself is nothing to write home about in the height ‘department’.

But, in a sweary bid for mitigation, Derek sez:

“The media jumping all over a non story from last Friday while they keep the real stories of those forced to suffer under the Austerity regime off the headlines.
This morning as I finish work I should be going home to bed for some much needed sleep. But no I have to go and apply for legal aid. Comical I must go and ask the state to pay someone to represent me so they can jail me.

What is my crime?
Am I a drug dealer , a murderer, a burglar? No
Am I a threat to society? Hmm Yes & No
Am I a threat to the everyday citizen of Ireland ? No
Am I a threat to those who profit from other people’s misery? YES

I made a conscious decisions about two years ago to stand up and fight back for my future in this country. You see after the so called collapse of this country things changed. Although I was one of the lucky ones that kept their job I may as well have been unemployed.

As my P60s show it’s a big drop when you are earning €47,000 in 2008 and are then earning €28,000 in 2011. That’s a big drop. I remember a time I could afford to socialise with friends or go where ever I wanted with my kids. These days you are lucky if you can afford to rent a movie out.

So I was compelled to stand up and do something. Along the way I realised that it was to late for me. So I said I would fight on to ensure my children didn’t have to suffer. You see I sit and I watch the greedy parasites that enforced this shite on our backs.

These people preached about patriotic duty and solidarity with our fellow country men.
Yet all this time these greedy selfish bastards continued to draw down massive salaries in a time when they preached to us how the country was broke, that we should live within our means.

These people cut everything. They didn’t give a shit who or what they cut.
Sick children, senior citizens were targeted, suicide and mental health programs were targeted, the homeless were targeted. Families were thrown out of their homes and forced to live in hostels alongside drug addicts. That’s if they were lucky.

What did the greedy people in power do ? Absolutely fucking nothing. They took token cuts but still left themselves with massive salaries. They gave their friends and family jobs in quangos they set up. They used and abused money donated for charities.

They ensured it was an us and them and then they continued to rape us the citizens of this country to pay for the lifestyle they have come accustomed to.

New taxes were invented and then they preached how because they had them in Europe we should pay. They lied to the people and when the lies wouldn’t wash anymore they resorted to threats and bullying.

I began questioning these peoples. They didn’t like that. My friends protested and those that were unemployed suddenly had their welfare stopped or cut drastically.
Media spun stories about extremists and anarchists yet the real story was people just wanted to live their lives not just exist.

These people hatched a plan to force us to pay for water. A substance needed for survival. We stood up to them and eventually inspired others to stand alongside us. So no w they will jail us in the hope it scares everyone to comply.

As far as meter installations are concerned. They’ve taken away all your rights. You are not allowed to refuse, you are not allowed protest and still each day people stand up.
People are no longer afraid, no longer pay attention to the threats made by these bastards.

I expect to be in prison on January 31st but I ask each and everyone of you to come to Dublin and make that small sacrifice. Come and stand alongside your country men and women. Make the 31st the largest protest in Irish History.

Do it for your children, your Grandchildren. Do it for those that were forced from this country because of corrupt greedy politicians. Do it for the sick that have been forced to suffer on trolleys for those forced out of their homes. Or just do it for yourself.

January 31st make history make it a day when your grand children learn about it in the history books , you can say I was there when we took back our country from the greedy and the corrupt.”

Derek Byrne on the Niall Boylan show [Classic Hits 4FM] after apologising for using the word midget during an Irish Water protest against President Higgins.

Deputy condemns verbal abuse of president by water charge protesters (RTÉ)

Dublin Says No (Facebook)

Meanwhile…

Sean O’Rourke

Anti-Irish Water campaigner Jerry Beades appeared on RTÉ RI’s Today with Sean O’Rourke to discuss Irish Water protests against president Higgins.

Sean O’Rourke: “Jerry Beades, good morning to you.”

Jerry Beades: “Good morning, Sean.”

O’Rourke: “I know you are very supportive and you have been active on Water Protests – Are these your people?”

Beades: “No, and I think we’ve seen the politicians there speaking just before for me – and they’re stoking over fire – and I think, they’re taking this totally out of context. I mean, there’s anger on the streets – The President had the option – first of all – and I want to say this, we have to say that we have to respect The Office of the President – that’s the first thing I’d like to say.”

O’Rourke: “…And would you like to start, as well by saying, first off – that you condemn the kind of behaviour that was directed at The Office of The President last Friday?”

Beades: “I want to be very careful Sean, in terms of, you know, in terms of , ‘Who is asking for this condemnation?’. At the moment it’s the politicians. But just let me say…I do not, …or have…

O’Rourke: “…I’m just asking you Gerry, as an Irish citizen – maybe one citizen to another, would you care, or do you think you should condemn that language directed at our Irish First Citizen?”

Beades: “I would say the language is not right – and it should not be used. But, I would want to say that there is anger on the streets, there’s anger about the Water Protests. The president had the option – there were people at the gates petitioning him – no to sign it {The Water Bill} – and refer it to The Supreme Court -he didn’t listen to those people who were at the gates of An Aras an Uachtarain – and you know, anger becomes a policy when the politicians ignore the people. And we have a situation at the moment, that, you know, the Water Protesters – The Government did a complete U-Turn only as a result of protests. We now have have all the evictions in the same way. The President refused to refer the evictions there to The Supreme Court as well. ”

O’Rourke: “Are you seriously suggesting, Jerry, that – had The President referred this to The Supreme Court, and had The Supreme Court had upheld its constitutionality that all the protesters would have just stayed at home and the protesters who remained would simply wave at his car?”

Beades: “I’m not saying that – but I mean there is… The President is elected as champion of the people, I mean he made a lot of promises, he was going to be ‘The People’s President’ – but obviously the people are ignored by the politicians.”

[Later]

Listen here