Occupy Galway Group (mod note added)

Danakin

Shakti wrote: »

it was not only suggested that they move the protest on because of the market, one poster threatened to burn them out if they didnt move. This bothered and worried me its all there in print --for you to read if your interested

I meant that there was no suggestion by any authorities that the protest was obstructing the market.

Officially as far as I am aware, both the market and the protest can take place together.

ErnieBert

Danakin wrote: »

I meant that there was no suggestion by any authorities that the protest was obstructing the market.

Officially as far as I am aware, both the market and the protest can take place together.

Agreed. I don't really subscribe to the the stance being taken by the Occupy Galway people but they are not interfering with the life of the city; they are not violent, noisy nor are they causing an obstruction to traffic etc.

I'm sure that they don't want to pi$$ off the general public so if they play their cards right, they market can go ahead and anything else that goes on in Eyre Square such as the St Patrick's Day Parade.

WallyGUFC

eire.man wrote: »

so what you're saying is we should just get back in our little holes and shut the fcuk up?!? trust Micky Noonan and the rest to have our best interests at heart?

get real yourself!! open your own eyes!!

sorry for the inconvenience, we're only trying to change the world!

Hahahaa, good luck with that one!

Ex Bouncer

padraig71 wrote: »

1. Eyre Square is a public space. We are all entitled to be there and to express our opinions. It is what citizens of a free country do. This is quite different from carrying on a trade. You would not be allowed to sell goods on Shop St either, but you are quite entitled to busk, proselytise, protest etc.

2. Surely the whole point of a protest is to raise public awareness?! There are far more objectionable sights on the streets of Galway any night of the week than conscientious protesters.

Neither of your points supports your stated belief that the protest cannot continue alongside the market.

Firstly, you are correct, Eyre sq is public, but the local authority are tasked with maintaining some rules with its use. what would happen if during the summer months backpacking visitors decided to camp in Eyre sq under the banner of a protest of some type, just so as they could avail of a prime location to camp for a weeks holiday?
Secondly, have the fire officer or HSA visited the site in eyre sq to establish the safety of occupy galway group? what washing and toilet facilities have the occupiers got?
Lastly, I have seen people selling their wares on shop street, hair braiding, scratch cards, paintings, similiar to traders on market st, but traders on market st need a permit.
Occupy Galway have been in eyre sq for some weeks now and I was aware of their cause, and up to a few days ago I had no opinion on the occupy galway protest, however since the Clarinbridge traffic protest, I now have an interest in what they do and if there are more protests planned to involve people without their consent, by holding them up in traffic. I truly hope I dont get caught up in one of these traffic protests!!!

Ex Bouncer

ErnieBert wrote: »

Agreed. I don't really subscribe to the the stance being taken by the Occupy Galway people but they are not interfering with the life of the city; they are not violent, noisy nor are they causing an obstruction to traffic etc.

I'm sure that they don't want to pi$$ off the general public so if they play their cards right, they market can go ahead and anything else that goes on in Eyre Square such as the St Patrick's Day Parade.

Clarinbridge?

galway23

HI, Apologies if this query has been posted here before but i'll be honest and say i'm not going to read through 30 odd pages of a thread.

Anyways just wondering how all these people that are taking part in the Occupy Galway protest are supporting themselves while they are taking part?

Ex Bouncer

Me again! wrote: »

It's plain to see that the protestors in eyre square are changing all our lives for the better. In the last few weeks the economy has turned around and it's clear from the G8 summit that world leaders are talking about eyre square and adopting their policies. Michael Noonan is clearly rowing back on the austerity measures. These people have given up their jobs and time to make the world a better place for us. I know that not one of them is claiming a cent from the state during these hard times. Their protest is working. Leave these people alone!!!!!

I would be very impressed if it was the case....however I dont believe that "not one of them is claiming a cent from the state"

zarquon

Ex Bouncer wrote: »

I would be very impressed if it was the case....however I dont believe that "not one of them is claiming a cent from the state"

Completely not true. I know some of them personally and they are in receipt of social welfare, not that i need to state that as anyone who can hang around Eyre Square 24x7 is clearly receiving state benefit

inisboffin

Ex Bouncer wrote: »

Clarinbridge?

Didn't the loopers who did the Clarenbridge stunt have nothing at all to do with the Occupy Galway folks?

inisboffin

zarquon wrote: »

Completely not true. I know some of them personally and they are in receipt of social welfare, not that i need to state that as anyone who can hang around Eyre Square 24x7 is clearly receiving state benefit

I don't know a lot of them but I'd say yes, some are probably on the dole. But I know for a fact, some are self employed, pay taxes, and some work part time and volunteer around town too. Mixed bag.

Shakti

I dont see any good reason why being on the dole should diminish your rights as an Irish citizen including your right to protest furthermore losing your job and perhaps subsequently losing your home to the banks might focus and intensify a need to make your voice heard.

galway23

Find it a bit ironic that there are people walking past them every day that work in the banks they are protesting against, but those every day bank workers that had nothing to do with the mess the country is in, are actually paying taxes that are supporting these people to do nothing. Cant see how what these protesters are doing is in anyway helping the country other than encouraging them to do nothing. also if they cared that much about the country they should be available for work, is that not one of the conditions for claiming the dole? Double standards

Shakti

I would think mass unemployment is part of what they are protesting about and no doubt will be part of further protests country-wide as unemployment grows even higher over the next few years. Demonising and reducing the unemployed as 'work shy' during a period of mass unemployment is quite an asinine analysis to say the least.

harrythehat

Is this still going strong?


I won't be back in Ireland til mid-December when they'll probably be frozen away but I'd love to get my thermals on and join them for a night or two just to see what it's all about!

inisboffin

galway23 wrote: »

also if they cared that much about the country they should be available for work, is that not one of the conditions for claiming the dole? Double standards

How are they not 'available for work'? AFAIK It used to be that if you were on the dole you had to 'show' that you were available and *looking* for work the odd time by bringing in a letter from a prospective employer or whatever. The 'being available' part could be done from the inside of a pub, your couch, or the prom - just as long as you weren't signing on from Spain (like some!).

joeKel73

Passed the protest earlier, it has grown a good bit since I saw it last. The persistance is quite impressive - but when will it end? When "greed" ends?

Also noted there wasn't much life about, just saw a couple of people... how many of the "occupy" tents are actually occupied?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HnGY2pCbQ

what a bunch of muppets

the comments make it pretty obvious the level of support

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HnGY2pCbQ

what a bunch of muppets

the comments make it pretty obvious the level of support

Negative comments on a Youtube video?... NEVER?

Columc

Deleted User wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82HnGY2pCbQ

what a bunch of muppets

the comments make it pretty obvious the level of support

have to agree more, they don't know what they are fighting for just trying to piggy back on an already terrible protests in states of occupy wall street and LA that have noting to do with Ireland. Then these ****ers blocking a road for no reason... 5 people creating a road block that probably affected a few dozen people, and they are probably the same group of people giving out about traffic in Galway

inisboffin

Columc wrote: »

have to agree more, they don't know what they are fighting for just trying to piggy back on an already terrible protests in states of occupy wall street and LA that have noting to do with Ireland. Then these ****ers blocking a road for no reason... 5 people creating a road block that probably affected a few dozen people, and they are probably the same group of people giving out about traffic in Galway

Again, isn't it true this bunch have nothing to do with the occupy Galway camp? I thought they were a bunch of randomers who happened to do this in Clarenbridge?

MadYaker

Shakti wrote: »

qouted before the inevitable edit (also archived)
the garda wont have far to look if you carry out your threats
unlike you the protestors are not commiting an offence
also the sons of roisin didnt die so you could stuff your face with bratwurst from a market that has no link to galway or eyre sq.

Hahaha, you think I would actually set fire to their tents?? No. And I'm not committing any offence, the "protesters" are however, since camping in eyre square is illegal.

Were in the middle of a recession. The christmas market brings people into the city and gets them spending money. It is far more beneficial in every way than this ridiculous so called "protest" by those idiots in the tents who don't even have a coherent list of demands or goals to outline what they hope to achieve by creating an eyesore in the middle of our city.

Its time for them to leave, their failed "protest" hasn't achieved anything and it never will.

inisboffin

inisboffin wrote: »

Again, isn't it true this bunch have nothing to do with the occupy Galway camp? I thought they were a bunch of randomers who happened to do this in Clarenbridge?

Their video starts at the camp in Eyre Square.

padraig71

Columc wrote: »

have to agree more, they don't know what they are fighting for just trying to piggy back on an already terrible protests in states of occupy wall street and LA that have noting to do with Ireland. Then these ****ers blocking a road for no reason... 5 people creating a road block that probably affected a few dozen people, and they are probably the same group of people giving out about traffic in Galway

These protests have everything to do with Ireland. While our so-called leaders cringe like whipped dogs before the international lords of finance, the people of this country, like their counterparts in Greece, Portugal, Italy and other countries to come, continue to pay the price for a failed economic model. We are enduring cuts to vital public services to prop up insolvent French and German banks, while our mainstream media peddle the lie that these sensible countries are paying to support the profligate and backward nations on the periphery of the EU - when the truth is that a rich few in every country are continuing to grow richer at the expense of the rest of us. How long must it go on before the corrupt edifice of debt and deceit is allowed to come crashing down and a better, sustainable and more just system can be created?

Fascism is on the rise across Europe, and our politicians are averting their eyes from the really important and difficult task of dealing with climate change, no doubt hoping that they will be out of office and enjoying a fat pension by the time the sh1t really hits the fan. In these times, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how a reasonable person can do anything but protest.

padraig71

padraig71 wrote: »

We are enduring cuts to vital public services to prop up insolvent French and German banks

Even if we didn't give another penny to any bank we still have a gaping hole in our public finances

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1102/breaking53.html
In the first 10 months of this year the state collected 28.9 billion euro in taxes and spent 40.5 billion on day to day / non bank bailout spending.

This 11 billion euro gap is why we need austerity and the IMF - not because of any bailouts.

antoobrien

Deleted User wrote: »

Even if we didn't give another penny to any bank we still have a gaping hole in our public finances

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1102/breaking53.html
In the first 10 months of this year the state collected 28.9 billion euro in taxes and spent 40.5 billion on day to day / non bank bailout spending.

This 11 billion euro gap is why we need austerity and the IMF - not because of any bailouts.

The full statement is available here

antoobrien

padraig71 wrote: »

We are enduring cuts to vital public services to prop up insolvent French and German banks,

What cutbacks? I'm getting sick of this propaganda, especially when I read the latest accounts released by the DoF. We've spent €788,406,000 more on providing services (aka current spending) than we did last year. I don't see any evidence of cutbacks in our spending numbers, so please, what cutbacks?

Could somebody from the occupy supporters club please justify how this current spending figure (€34.45 billion) is already within €500m of the estimated total annual revenue (€34.9 billion)?

Can somebody justify why current spending alone will leave us with a deficit of €6.9 billion (if we're lucky)?

Shakti

MadYaker wrote: »

Hahaha, you think I would actually set fire to their tents?? No. And I'm not committing any offence, the "protesters" are however, since camping in eyre square is illegal.

Is this your idea of a retraction of your threats?
I suggest you find yourself a law professor in NUIG when your between lectures if you are worried about the legality and potential consequences of your actions also talk to someone in 'Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway' if you are concerned about the protests in Eyre Sq. and outline to them what you posted and suggested here in this thread.

Were in the middle of a recession.

newsflash

The christmas market brings people into the city and gets them spending money.It is far more beneficial in every way than this ridiculous so called "protest" by those idiots in the tents who don't even have a coherent list of demands or goals to outline what they hope to achieve by creating an eyesore in the middle of our city.

Why do you have to be so offensive and assume so much is it that hard for you to put a coherent analysis or argument together?

Its time for them to leave, their failed "protest" hasn't achieved anything and it never will.

Dictatorial apathetic insinuation and assumption.

Danakin

antoobrien wrote: »

What cutbacks? I'm getting sick of this propaganda, especially when I read the latest accounts released by the DoF. We've spent €788,406,000 more on providing services (aka current spending) than we did last year. I don't see any evidence of cutbacks in our spending numbers, so please, what cutbacks?

Could somebody from the occupy supporters club please justify how this current spending figure (€34.45 billion) is already within €500m of the estimated total annual revenue (€34.9 billion)?

Can somebody justify why current spending alone will leave us with a deficit of €6.9 billion (if we're lucky)?

Are you saying that cutbacks do not exist and are propaganda concoted by Occupy supporters or are you saying that the cutbacks do exist but you support them?

If it is the former then the evidence of cutbacks should be fairly obvious. The reduction in the number of Special Needs Assistants in schools, the closing down of regional hospitals, proposed €1 billion welfare cuts(http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1012/breaking3.html) along with current cuts in child benefit and increases in student fees.

Hardly propaganda. Of course further large-scale cuts will come in the upcoming budget.

If you are instead arguing that the cutbacks do exist but you support them then that is a different point.

Public expenditure will always exceed revenue in times of recession due to decreased tax take due to unemployment in terms of VAT and income tax. It would be impossible or at least incredibly damaging to Irish society to attempt to cut back expenditure so much as for it to be less than revenues at this time.

Growth and exit from recession often and almost always involves running deficits as the governement must spend to make up for smaller private sector spending. Deficits would be sutainable here, or at least more sustainable, if we were not having to pay unsecured or indeed secured bank bondholders.

antoobrien

Danakin wrote: »

Are you saying that cutbacks do not exist and are propaganda concoted by Occupy supporters or are you saying that the cutbacks do exist but you support them?

If it is the former then the evidence of cutbacks should be fairly obvious. The reduction in the number of Special Needs Assistants in schools, the closing down of regional hospitals, proposed €1 billion welfare cuts(http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1012/breaking3.html) along with current cuts in child benefit and increases in student fees.

Hardly propaganda. Of course further large-scale cuts will come in the upcoming budget.

I notice you've ignored the fact that we're still spending 3/4 of a billion more than we were last year on providing services.

Do you deny this?

As for cuts, thank your lucky stars I'm not a politician and that I'll never get in charge, then you'd see cuts. Public service strike? Good, we don't have to pay them. We can cut €1 billion by getting them to strike for 4 weeks without nominally cutting anything.

Danakin wrote: »

Deficits would be sutainable here, or at least more sustainable, if we were not having to pay unsecured or indeed secured bank bondholders.

Legally senior bonds (e.g last weeks payments on Anglo bonds) rank higher than retail deposits. Think about that for a second.

Burn the bondholders automatically means burn the depositors - of all stripes. That includes any retails savings accounts and current accounts. In other words you want to give up my wages and savings. Thanks, no.

"Burn the bondholders" is the biggest national financial suicide pact since October 1917.

mary90

This is probably a really ignorant question and I apologise in advance but what exactly do the protesters hope to gain from camping in eyre square?