IrishAnarchist
10th December 2014, 11:20
The momentous December the 10th has arrived. Tens of thousands are expected to descend on Leinster House to declare that Water Is A Human Right and is not up for sale; to demand the immediate abolition of the hated, regressive, water charges; and in no uncertain terms to announce 'No Way, We Won't Pay!'
We will be proving live coverage here through the day and on Twitter @WSMireland
But as Enda himself said 'this is about more than water'. So what does December the 10th mean to you?
This day means a lot to us. It means that we - the people of Ireland - are not going away, despite the demonisation, the repression, the concessions - despite Lord Michael Noonan proclaiming we've had our 'last protest'. It means that the self-organisation all across the country, the real democracy, each act of resistance and solidarity, individual or collective, small or large, is working. It means our confidence in our own power, our defiance of the establishment, is growing.
And it means the struggle is international, because activists from Detroit and Greece have come to share their stories, their anger and vision. It means justice knows no borders - we're all in this together no matter where we happened to be born because the only true nationalities are Oppressor and Oppressed.
Today adds to the sense that maybe things are changing. People all over Ireland are experiencing a political awakening (and for many, re-awakening), questioning traditional ideas of what society should be, looking for new ways of thinking.
It means that this government is as unwelcome as rain in an oily frying pan (that's why they're spitting at us), and becomes more so by the day. But it's not just the government - it's what they represent. Not just the lies, the broken promises, the cronyism, but their indifference to suffering and their disdain for freedom. The way that this society seems to have bottomless resources when the wealthy come knocking, but not a scrap for the poor, the sick, and the disabled – a society for the powerful by the powerful. A society where there is little mention of Liberty, but daily worship of the Economy. Where we work - if we can even get a job – so that the 1% can purchase shinier jet planes and carve up our planet among themselves.
Whether it's TTIP or GCHQ, NAMA or IRBC. Whether it's the economic terrorists who are free to play golf, or the desperate asylum seekers imprisoned in direct provision. The criminalised abortion, gushing homelessness, garda brutality, or defunct mainstream media (which makes a water balloon 'violence'). The endless 'tough decisions', the bailout or the bogus 'democracy'. There's something fundamentally wrong with this society - it's not just bad apples.
As anarchists we think this is not the best that humanity can do, not by a long shot. Water is a human right, but so is food, shelter, healthcare, education, and all of life's needs. So is the ability to express oneself, to develop one's natural capacities, to control one's work. All of this is possible, but not within the cruel confines of the current system. We want a society where co-operation is the order of the day, and we harness our intelligence, labour, and resources for the good of all.
We hope that today, in some very remote way, is a step towards that rightful future.
https://www.facebook.com/WorkersSolidarityMovement/photos/a.247235278635626.82828.132000150159140/1020100811349065/?type=1&fref=nf&pnref=story
We will be proving live coverage here through the day and on Twitter @WSMireland
But as Enda himself said 'this is about more than water'. So what does December the 10th mean to you?
This day means a lot to us. It means that we - the people of Ireland - are not going away, despite the demonisation, the repression, the concessions - despite Lord Michael Noonan proclaiming we've had our 'last protest'. It means that the self-organisation all across the country, the real democracy, each act of resistance and solidarity, individual or collective, small or large, is working. It means our confidence in our own power, our defiance of the establishment, is growing.
And it means the struggle is international, because activists from Detroit and Greece have come to share their stories, their anger and vision. It means justice knows no borders - we're all in this together no matter where we happened to be born because the only true nationalities are Oppressor and Oppressed.
Today adds to the sense that maybe things are changing. People all over Ireland are experiencing a political awakening (and for many, re-awakening), questioning traditional ideas of what society should be, looking for new ways of thinking.
It means that this government is as unwelcome as rain in an oily frying pan (that's why they're spitting at us), and becomes more so by the day. But it's not just the government - it's what they represent. Not just the lies, the broken promises, the cronyism, but their indifference to suffering and their disdain for freedom. The way that this society seems to have bottomless resources when the wealthy come knocking, but not a scrap for the poor, the sick, and the disabled – a society for the powerful by the powerful. A society where there is little mention of Liberty, but daily worship of the Economy. Where we work - if we can even get a job – so that the 1% can purchase shinier jet planes and carve up our planet among themselves.
Whether it's TTIP or GCHQ, NAMA or IRBC. Whether it's the economic terrorists who are free to play golf, or the desperate asylum seekers imprisoned in direct provision. The criminalised abortion, gushing homelessness, garda brutality, or defunct mainstream media (which makes a water balloon 'violence'). The endless 'tough decisions', the bailout or the bogus 'democracy'. There's something fundamentally wrong with this society - it's not just bad apples.
As anarchists we think this is not the best that humanity can do, not by a long shot. Water is a human right, but so is food, shelter, healthcare, education, and all of life's needs. So is the ability to express oneself, to develop one's natural capacities, to control one's work. All of this is possible, but not within the cruel confines of the current system. We want a society where co-operation is the order of the day, and we harness our intelligence, labour, and resources for the good of all.
We hope that today, in some very remote way, is a step towards that rightful future.
https://www.facebook.com/WorkersSolidarityMovement/photos/a.247235278635626.82828.132000150159140/1020100811349065/?type=1&fref=nf&pnref=story