Enda Kenny is coming to Galway tomorrow morning for an IBEC funded breakfast at the Radisson Hotel, to push the ‘yes’ vote for the referendum.
Meet at Eyre Square at 7am…lets give him a warm welcome!
Lets welcome Enda to Galway
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You Can’t Evict An Idea
OCCUPY GALWAY POST-EVICTION PRESS STATEMENT 16/05/2012
You cannot evict an idea. Occupy Galway will only gain strength from this eviction. The Gardaí and their string-pullers in the City Council have only engendered further support and interest in the Occupy Movement. Today, we had our largest people’s assembly in many months on Eyre Square.
The movement has been reinvigorated.
We will be bigger, stronger and more active as a reaction to this abuse and waste of Garda resources. Only a few weeks ago senior Gardaí stated publicly that Occupy Galway was not acting illegally. What changed in the meantime? Already, the people of Galway are looking to the future.
We have been planning for it through the long, cold winter months.
Agents of repressive state power always come in the middle of the night, because they fear the legitimate public backlash when they finally show their true colours.
The council and Gardaí have completely missed the point of the Occupy movement. The camp played an important role in the movement’s survival through the winter, and functioned as a centre of information and education. The camp has well served its purpose, so on to Phase 2…
We have forged links with the myriad groups around the country protesting the disastrous social effects of the bailout/NAMA process. This social support network will see us through in ways that bankers, bureaucrats and their hired thugs can’t understand.
The inequity of the bank bailouts has not gone away, so one of the main reasons for out protest still exists.
It is interesting to note that other Occupy camps around the world were raided on the same night.
Solidarity to our comrades in Frankfurt, Moscow and St Johns, Newfoundland.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of people who expressed their support and solidarity, in so many ways, over the past seven months. We couldn’t have done it without you and look forward to your continued support.
Watch this space.
Press Release 30 April 2012
OCCUPY LAUNCHES VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN
Occupy is launching a voter registration initiative ahead of the Fiscal Compact Treaty referendum on the 31st of May. Registration and Change of Address forms along with information on the treaty will be available at the camp in Eyre Square in the run up to the vote.
A list of those registered is available in the library and Post Office for citizens to check if or where they are registered. Deadline for registration is on the 14th of May. Forms can be filled in at the camp or alternatively at the County Council Offices on Bother Mór.
Canvassing for the referendum has begun around the city. Details of locations and timetable will be available at the camp and on the Occupy Galway website for anyone that would like to get involved with door to door leafleting . A stall will be operating on Shop Street every Saturday from 12 till 2 in the run up to the referendum. Other informative events will be organised in the coming weeks.
Occupy Galway is open every day from 10am to 10pm and holds public assemblies every evening at 7pm. We invite people to come along and partake in this grass-roots participatory democracy. For more information call by the camp or check out www.VoteNo.ie
Thousands protest the Labour Party Conference
The members of Occupy Galway were proud to take part in what must be the biggest peaceful demonstration of solidarity and people power in Galway for many years. Between six and eight thousand people gathered on Eyre Square to march on the Labour conference and air a range of grievances from housing, water and septic tank charges, anti-bondholder bailout campaigners, anti-war, anti-fracking, SPARK, Shell to Sea and the Rossport campaigners, as well as many people unaffiliated with any group. As the crowd grew throughout the morning, it became clear that there is massive discontent at the way that the labour party has represented itself in government.
There were exaggerated claims that the protestors were violent, but these are wholly unfounded. We understand that Cllr Conneely has suggested that Occupy Galway were responsible for this. One only has to watch the many videos that are available online to see that this is a ridiculous suggestion. Thousands of people were there and wished to ensure that the Labour delegates were aware of their presence but were herded into the area at the front of the NUIG quad building, not even within sight of the conference. This left many of the protesters with the feeling that they were, once again, being ignored by their elected representatives. When several young demonstrators were pepper sprayed for simply approaching the barrier to the conference hall, the crowd became even more determined to push their way past the Gardai.
Dismissive comments by Eamonn Gilmore that he hoped the demonstrators “have a nice day”, and accusations of “bully boy tactics” levelled at the people present only serve to further distance the Labour party from their electorate.
The March on the Labour Party Conference was a hugely successful show of Solidarity and People Power and Occupy Galway were proud to be a part of this massive gathering. Labour would do well to heed the message that it delivered.
Press Release 2nd April 2012
Press release relating to recent meetings between Occupy Galway and Galway City Director of Services, Ciaran Hayes.
On the 27th March, a delegation from Occupy Galway met with Ciaran Hayes, Director of Services for Galway City Council, and senior members of An Garda Siochana, at the request of Mr Hayes.
They were advised, once again, that the Council would like the camp to be removed from Eyre Square. They were also advised, by the Gardai, that there are discretionary powers that can be used to remove the camp, although what these are were not made clear. However, it was also confirmed once again that the illegality of the camp is not established. It has been stated on several occasions that the camp is breaking no laws and there have been no complaints from members of the public therefore it is unclear why there should be any need for discretionary powers to be utilised in this matter.
This meeting was discussed during General Assemblies and, on Friday 30th March, members of Occupy Galway met again with Ciaran Hayes and the Gardai and advised them that there has been no decision made as yet, but that we will continue to discuss the future of Occupy Galway and hope they will continue to recognise our right to peacefully assemble and protest. We will also be seeking legal advice as soon as possible in order to clarify our position with regard to the discretionary powers that the Garda have referred to.
Occupy Galway has also been furnished with a copy of the Health and Safety Report arising from an inspection carried out on the 14th February. We have been requesting a copy of this report since the inspection and are rather concerned that the results of this inspection were not made available to us sooner. We are, however, glad that we are finally able to act to correct any issues that may constitute a danger to ourselves or members of the public. The issues raised in the report are now being addressed. We would like to stress that we take every step possible to ensure that the camp is legal, clean and as safe as possible and, indeed, there have been no injuries or accidents in the time we have been here.
We at Occupy Galway feel that we are providing a service to the city that is particularly necessary in today’s turbulent times. The camp acts as an information hub that is used by many campaign groups. We distribute information leaflets and promote events for groups such as Amnesty International, Shell2Sea, Debt Justice Network, Campaign against the Household Tax, Anti Eviction Taskforce, and various other groups. The camp has been used for meetings by some of these groups and we also regularly hold talks by economics experts in order to inform ourselves and the public. We highlight the odious payments that are regularly going from tax payers’ money to pay bankers gambling losses and educate ourselves and the public about the current financial situation. On 2nd April, we put up blue balloons and painted some of the fence blue to highlight World Autism Day and the launch of Galway Autism Partnership. This group had sought the council’s permission to decorate the fountain and trees in the square with some small lanterns but had been refused, so we agreed to help out.
It is collaborations like these that highlight the importance of the Occupy Galway camp to the local community. We also believe that it is essential that everybody is well informed in these troubled times, and that there is a way for campaign groups to link together so that the people may have as loud a voice as possible in the decisions that will shape the future of our country.
Get the news here!
Occupy Softly
Friday 2nd March.
Occupy Sound & Vision: Donations on the night appreciated/Aid of Threshold..
Together we can support each other.
Not your usual friday night!! soft visions speak around live sounds
Free in before 22:30
Live sounds 20:30 till 22:00…A Super Psychedlic night in store!…all very Hush Hush indeed!!?????
Promoting Interculteralism & unity….Snoke choir, Art exhibition & More
This event will broadcast live on the internet!
Click on the pic above for live feed.
Saturday 18th events
Occupy Saturday 18th Feb
This weeks events start at Occupy Galway on Saturday with an entertainment packed afternoon in Eyre Square:
At 1pm we have stand up comedy from Paul Murphy with impersonations of well known local and national figures.
At 2pm, a hula hooping performances will be given by Tara Wray of the juggling society at NUIG with a workshop to follow for anyone that would like to learn the skill.
A poetry reading will headline the day at 3pm from poet Kevin Higgins. Kevin facilitates poetry workshops at Galway Arts Centre, teaches creative writing at Galway Technical Institute, amongst many other things. For more about Kevins work see http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=186&a=108
There will also be music with songs created especially for the Occupy movement played by Mark Ryan and rap from talented young rapper Poortraitz.
Amnesty International World Social Justice Day’s ‘Freedom songs and stories’
Saturday 18th Feb 7-9pm Upstairs at Kellys Bar, entry €6
With Sonke! – Multicultural Community Choir. Guest artists Helen Webb, Dave Larkin, Ladies of the South, Liminal and Seamus Ruttledge.
Guest speakers from Libya and Occupy Galway (our very own Gillen Hardesty).
Help us mark the bondholder windfalls of this week
Time to speak up and get out!
The unsecured senior bond repayments continue to load this nation with debt it neither owes nor can socially sustain.
This week three repayments of taxpayers money will be made to failed speculators:
€ 864,553,314 to AIB on Monday
€ 2,200,000 to IL&P and € 5,870,000 to IL&P on Tuesday
€ 10,000,000 BoI on Wednesday.
A total of €882,623,314 in one week.
Each day Occupy Galway will stage a picket at the respective banks. The first demonstration will be at Allied Irish Bank on Shop Street, the second at Irish Life and Permanent on Eyre Square and the third at Bank of Ireland on Mainguard Street.
Interested citizens can assemble at the camp in Eyre Square at 12am for tea and to make placards. Alternatively, just meet us at the bank at 1pm. We will continue till closing at 4pm.
To make this peaceful protest as vibrant and inspiring as possible we are suggesting that you perhaps:
Jot down a few words to say on the day
Get creative with props or costumes to illustrate the point
Put your own reasons to stop the payments on paper and hand them out on the day.
You can’t drink money – a weekend of talks about water.
This weekend (11th and 12th Feb) Occupy talks will be about that most valuable of resources, Water.
On Saturday at 3pm we will have a talk on the ill effects of water fluoridation from Carina Harkin BHSc.Acu.BHSc.Nat.BHsc.Hom pratitioner/lecturer. There will also be music, and refreshments will be provided all day.
On Sunday, Tyler McNally, the QUBSU Environment Committee chairperson, will give a presentation on Hydraulic Fracturing, or ‘Fracking’, a method of gas extraction which is being planned for the Allen Basin in Leitrim. There will also be a screening of the film ‘Gaslands’ which tells the tale of Canada’s struggle with this environmental and socially destructive extraction process. Local campaigner Martina Lynch will have information on the process and campaign successes so far. “So far Roscommon, Donegal and Sligo have amended their county development plans to never allow fracking in their county” Martina Lynch.
We hope to see you there