Socialist Party Scotland support for JobstownNotGuilty Campaign

During the March Against Racism demo in Georges Square, Glasgow, 18th March,  2017,  a member of the Socialist Party Scotland called for support and solidarity for the Jobstown protesters charged with 'false imprisonment' of Joan Burton, an Irish Labour Party TD and member of the coalition government in 2014.

 

18 adults are awaiting trial - starting on the 24th April 2017 - and facing serious prison sentences if convicted. The trials, which will be six to eight weeks long, themselves will place enormous stress and strain on the defendants. If jailed, families would be left in very difficult situations, with jobs lost and parents in prison. If TD Paul Murphy is jailed for more than six months, he will be removed as a TD, denying the democratic choice of the people of Dublin South West.

All this relates to an anti water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin on 15th November 2014, where then Tánaiste Joan Burton’s car was delayed for 2 and ½ hours by a spontaneous community protest.

#JobstownNotGuilty - Protest is not a Crime

Saturday 1 April 2017, 1pm - 4pm Liberty Hall Dublin

 

"As someone who is an expert in what being falsely imprisoned is I can say this was not false imprisonment. This was a community exerting its democratic right to oppose an unjust policy. A right that we should all be proud to defend." Paddy Hill, Birmingham Six

Paddy Hill served 16 years in prison - along with the rest of the Birmingham 6, for a crime he had nothing to do with. Members of the Rossport 5 were jailed 94 days for standing up against the Shell corporation and their plans to build a pipeline through their community. They will be joined by Jimmy Kelly of UNITE the union, former MEP and justice campaigner Patricia McKenna and others at this major campaign rally for #JobstownNotGuilty.

A 17 year old school student has already been found guilty of false imprisonment – a verdict a barrister described as “a recipe for totalitarianism”. 18 adults are awaiting trial - starting on the 24th April 2017 - and facing serious prison sentences if convicted. The trials, which will be six to eight weeks long, themselves will place enormous stress and strain on the defendants. If jailed, families would be left in very difficult situations, with jobs lost and parents in prison. If TD Paul Murphy is jailed for more than six months, he will be removed as a TD, denying the democratic choice of the people of Dublin South West.

All this relates to an anti water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin on 15th November 2014, where then Tánaiste Joan Burton’s car was delayed for 2 and ½ hours by a spontaneous community protest.

If these protesters are found guilty, the definition of “false imprisonment” will be changed. Any protest that causes even a momentary delay, which for example inconveniences a politician, could be deemed to be “kidnapping”. This is about intimidating people and criminalising protest

Just a few weeks before the trials start, this major rally will make the case that these trials can affect all of our right to protest. A major campaign for justice is now needed. Join us on April 1st and reserve your place at the link below. We will be in touch via email to confirm your attendance.

Source: #JobstownNotGuilty

Petition Minister for Justice and April rally on behalf of JobstownNotGuilty

Press conference todayannounces rally on 1st April at Liberty Hall, Dublin.  Photo Rossport 5, Patricia McKenna and TUists.

Why is this important?

A 17 year old school student has already been found guilty of false imprisonment – a verdict a barrister described as “a recipe for totalitarianism”.

This related to an anti water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in Dublin on 15 November 2014, where then Tánaiste Joan Burton’s car was delayed for 2 and ½ hours by a spontaneous community protest.

The 18 adults now awaiting trial from April 2017 face sentences up to life imprisonment. The trials, which will be six to eight weeks long, themselves will place enormous stress and strain on the defendants. If jailed, families would be left in very difficult situations, with jobs lost and parents in prison. If TD Paul Murphy is jailed for more than six months, he will be removed as a TD, denying the democratic choice of the people of Dublin South West.

The political establishment and the supportive media are desperate to tarnish the anti water charges movement as a violent, anti-democratic mob. By grossly misrepresenting and using what happened in Jobstown they want to weaken our democratic rights and so make it easier to impose economic inequality.

The laws used to directly seize the Property Tax from wages or benefits as well the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation used to rob the wages of pubic servants, show that this attack is real. The dirty smear campaign against Maurice McCabe by the Gardai tops, shows the lengths this rotten establishment are willing to go to shut down descent and opposition to the status quo.

The definition of ‘false imprisonment’ is being changed and this affects everyone. Any temporary delay or obstruction at a protest or picket, which for example inconveniences a politician, could be deemed false imprisonment. This is about intimidating people and criminalising protest.

Source: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/protesting-is-not-a-crime-drop-the-charges-against-jobstownnotguilty