Jobstown Not Guilty documentary preview

Watch the trailer for the #jobstownnotguilty documentary which tells the real story of what happened on the day.   Full documentary will be launched at the JobstownNotGuilty assembly at Liberty Hall, Dublin at 1pm on April 1st, 2017.

"A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on" - Mark Twain

Establishment politicians and their friendly media have dedicated almost as much in resources as the Gardai, in painting what happened in Jobstown on November 2014 as a violent, undemocratic mob.

The real story is one of a spontaneous community protest against water charges, austerity and the betrayal of the Labour Party - felt up and down the country. A protest that was angry - but not violent.

In just over a week, Jobstown Not Guilty will be releasing our documentary to get that real story out as part of our campaign to defend the right to protest for everyone.

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.

Right2Water leadership announce national demonstration set for April 8th

Right2Water Ireland called for a national demonstration for Saturday April 8th 2017 in Dublin..

Brendan Ogle, Unite trade union, Jonathan O'Brien, Sinn Fein and Maeve Curtis, Dundalk R2W, held what could be described as unrepresentative and a R2W self-promotional press conference last Thursday in Dublin.  Quite a bit of; we did this, we did that and not much humble pie going around.

However, we prefer the term 'National Anti Water Charge Demonstration'.  That is a more fitting and inclusive name given the fact that a broad range of political groups, organisations and individuals throughout the country have done the work up to now.  No one group should take credit or assume leadership but any praise going must be given to the people of Ireland, even Fianna Fáil supporters.

Eureka! was the term shouted by Archimedes, a while back, as he ran down a Syracuse road naked after a mathematical brainwave hit him while taking a bath in the Sicilian sun.  The Archimedes Principle kind of calculates volume and loosely describes what you put in to something you get an equivalent amount out.

It doesn't take a brainwave to twig that an anti water charge demonstration is called for at this juncture in time especially since Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and others in the Oireachtas Committee on 'Domestic Water Charges' are or reported to be, dilly dallying around some type of compromise.

And it doesn't take a genius to know that the more anti water protesters throughout the country that show up at the April 8th demonstration, the more will be got out of it.

Therefore, we encourage as many people as possible to take part in what could either be a protest demo or a celebration march, depending on the Oireachtas show.

Archimedes, we rest our case!

The Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael political show in town

Enda Kenny, Fine Gael, Taoiseach and Michéal Martin, Fianna Fáil Leader

For the past year and a bit the democratic wish of the Irish was usurped by political agendas.   After last year's General Election, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's used the 'Confidence and Supply Agreement'  to kick the water issue down the road by establishing an 'Expert Water Commission' and now this Oireachtas Water Committee on Funding Domestic Water Services,  somewhat partisan outfits dressed up by Fine Gael's Simon Coveney.  

It is now crunch time but the committee on domestic water has reached a deadlock and the Minister has extended it's deadline by another four weeks to come up with some type of compromise.  By the way, how many compromises make a whole?

It is our opinion that, as far as the water issue goes for a start, Fine Gael do not deserve any backing.  First of all, it is not in their ultra right-wing fibre to compromise and secondly for the past three decades or so they have been pushing their water charges agenda down our throats and and into legislation.  Look where it has got us! 

Fianna Fáil cold feet

Are Fianna Fáil getting cold feet or will they stick to what were water-tight promises on abolishing water charges, metering and Irish Water Ltd?    We are under no illusions that political parties have a Jekyll and Hyde personality when it comes to electoral promises but which one will Fianna Fáil adopt?   The answer my friend will unfortunately have to wait.   And that is why pressure must be put on Fianna Fáil.  They must be held accountable and be reminded that they can not make clear and unambiguous promises and not keep them.

What has been given, can easily be taken away and given Fianna Fáil's lengthy list of past indiscretions, not least was their 'Letter of Intent' to the IMF in 2010.  They have much to prove.