Occupy Galway Group (mod note added)

Irishgoatman

Chicken1 wrote: »

Get them out of there NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shower of wasters

In what way are they "A shower of wasters" ?

Chicken1

Irishgoatman wrote: »

In what way are they "A shower of wasters" ?

Thats what they are wasting their time there and turning the Square in a dump with the tents, flags, posters etc there is no need for this copy cat carry on

Pure Sound

Right wingers and anti protesters have gotten very petit on this thread, its pretty obvious the sign refers to the protesters not drinking so that the guards don't try and arrest them for it, they are not telling everyone else that they can't, clutching at straws it seems

I was in town earlier and it seems like there are a couple more tents now which is great, hopefully more will follow over the weekend

galwayfellaBETA

I must say that I am very disheartened by some of the comments on this thread.... a lot if comments are nothing more than opinionated BS from narrow minded keyboard loud mouths.

I'm a home-owning, middle income parent in my mid 30', (not a dreadlock in sight) and I FULLY support what Occupy Wall Street & Occupy Galway are doing.

A lot of posters to this thread need to WAKE UP and see the society/economy that we live in for what it is, one that bleeds the lower & middle classes dry. If it keeps going the way it is, there will be no 'middle class' for my kids to enter in to!

If you find that after you pay all your bills & feed yourself there is not bugger all left left at the end of the week, then you are part of the 99%.

'Hippy' bashing for fun is just plain ignorant. Discuss the issues!

In my opinion the people in Eyre Square are the bravest, most forthright people Galway has to offer! Bravo!

antoobrien

The way I see it is that anybody who is "anti corporate greed" is attempting to subvert the economy.

The only part of the economy that is working is the export sector. Guess what there's very few small businesses or individuals exporting these days.

Maybe they should pay attention to this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp3bhU-XP-8

Pinturicchio

galwayfellaBETA wrote: »

If you find that after you pay all your bills & feed yourself there is not bugger all left left at the end of the week, then you are part of the 99%.

How is sitting in a tent in Eyre Square going to change that? Wouldn't they be better off at work if more money is what they want?

Head The Wall

galwayfellaBETA wrote: »

I must say that I am very disheartened by some of the comments on this thread.... a lot if comments are nothing more than opinionated BS from narrow minded keyboard loud mouths.

I'm a home-owning, middle income parent in my mid 30', (not a dreadlock in sight) and I FULLY support what Occupy Wall Street & Occupy Galway are doing.

You are a Vested Interest

Irishgoatman

Pinturicchio wrote: »

How is sitting in a tent in Eyre Square going to change that? Wouldn't they be better off at work if more money is what they want?

It is not more money for themselves that they are after.

They, like hundreds of thousands of other people around the world, are trying to get the message over that 99% of the people are struggling to make ends meet, whilst many of the people who were responsible for our financial situation, and they have been named on t.v. news progs, are still living the high life.

Anyone who feels that they have not, in any way, been affected by the current crisis should count themselves lucky.

I'm a 66 year old pensioner and I can feel the financial pinch.

galwayfellaBETA

Pinturicchio wrote: »

How is sitting in a tent in Eyre Square going to change that? Wouldn't they be better off at work if more money is what they want?

It raises awareness of the issue.

I'm presuming that if they have that time on their hands they are unemployed.
There are no jobs to be had in this economy and the comment "Wouldn't they be better off at work if more money is what they want?" completely misses the point. The point is... even with a good education & an average paying job, living standard of the 99% are being eroded so the 1% can profit + have swankier beach house in malibu.

galwayfellaBETA

Head The Wall wrote: »

You are a Vested Interest

I don't see how?

Irishgoatman

Just watched the video that antoobrien posted.

Ah yes, Violence, now why didn't I think of that.

snubbleste

Isn't it a bit ironic that the park is named after an american president?

zarquon

Haven't been down there myself, but if they are being peaceful tidy, non intrusive and not a nuisance on the square then i have no problem with those guys being their. It does help highlight issues and is better than them sitting around their homes doing nothing. I would rather though that they be completely self funded and any donations of food, money, etc go to the homeless rather than the protesters. If someone has a spare meal or sleeping bag to give a protester then why do they never seem to have those items for the homeless that really need them?

Head The Wall

galwayfellaBETA wrote: »

I don't see how?

You have a mortgage!

Eman Resu

zarquon wrote: »

Haven't been down there myself, but if they are being peaceful tidy, non intrusive and not a nuisance on the square then i have no problem with those guys being their. It does help highlight issues and is better than them sitting around their homes doing nothing. I would rather though that they be completely self funded and any donations of food, money, etc go to the homeless rather than the protesters. If someone has a spare meal or sleeping bag to give a protester then why do they never seem to have those items for the homeless that really need them?

Because some of the 99% are just like the 1%, they don't give a damn about those worse off than them. In fact if they could magically become part of the 1% they would be just like them in terms of greed and a lack of humanity.

zarquon

Eman Resu wrote: »

Because some of the 99% are just like the 1%, they don't give a damn about those worse off than them. In fact if they could magically become part of the 1% they would be just like them in terms of greed and a lack of humanity.

That is sort of my point, albeit in a harsher form. Some of those in financial difficulty now don't realise that they are still better off than others in society or even 3rd world countries. If you tried to discuss a 10% pension levy reduction with a homeless person or indeed tried to garner their empathy if you were in negative equity, they would laugh at you as they would gladly trade places with you. For the most part society has grown to have a sense of entitlement about it. While protests are great and necessary sometimes, what would the reaction be if the homeless started protesting the working and middle classes for not distributing their relative wealth. It doesn't take much to give a homeless guy a sandwich but some of those in support of these protests would turn their nose up at a down and out on the street, indeed some of those not in support of the protests would do the same thing.

antoobrien

Irishgoatman wrote: »

Just watched the video that antoobrien posted.

Ah yes, Violence, now why didn't I think of that.

The only thing that can be taken seriously about team america is:

don't take it seriously

galwayfellaBETA

Head The Wall wrote: »

You have a mortgage!

Yeah.... and how does that make me a vested interest? (are you making assumptions that could be incorrect?)

Simarillion

I just don't understand what they are trying to achieve.

Someone posted that they are "trying to raise awareness"

Do they honestly think the rest of us don't know there is a recession? That the country's economy is gone to pot?

We all know! Its been on every TV screen and newspaper for 2 years now. And sitting in the freezing cold in Eyre Sq isn't raising anything or helping anyone.

biko

Their demands are the same as Dame Street.

Occupy Galway #OccupyGalway A statement from Occupy Dame Street:

''Our demand is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stay out of our affairs. We do not want their influence or control.

Our demand is that the private bank debt that has been socialised and burdened upon the population of the country who had nothing to do with it be lifted. We will not pay and let our children and their children pay for this crisis that private banks and bondholders have caused. It is their problem, not ours.

Our demand is that the oil and gas reserves off our coast that were criminally handed away to private corporations be returned to sovereign control.

Our demand is for real, participatory democracy – where the people’s interests come first, where the people decide what happens.''

They're all kinda broad demands, may even seem populist, but are in line with what many folks think to themselves (I believe).

I don't think we can blame recession in order to do nothing. It was doing nothing that got us into this mess - handing over control willingly to the gov/corps as long as we got that new car loan and a mortgage that we now regret.

SeamusFX

biko wrote: »

Ok thread re-opened.
Please make sure to discuss in a civil manner. Insults, agitators and trolls will be banned.
Also try to keep this to the Galway side of things.
There are threads in Politics and Irish Economy etc for those who wish to discuss in broader strokes.

Mods, it's starting again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a sad state where people that are peacefully protesting, not making a mess or any trouble and not asking anything from the other 99%, but despite that certain people want to condemn them. It sad, this would have been a nice forum to give some solidarity to them, but for some strange reason people are objecting and causing trouble. So what if people want to stay out in the rain, do you get wet by looking at them? The sad thing is, I always thought 99% of the population of our country was nice, I guess I was wrong.

If you want to debate or if you think the economy doesn't need fixing, go to the threads in Politics or the Irish Economy and leave this as an information thread on the Eyre Square protests.

Ficheall

SeamusFX wrote: »

Mods, it's starting again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a sad state where people that are peacefully protesting, not making a mess or any trouble and not asking anything from the other 99%, but despite that certain people want to condemn them. It sad, this would have been a nice forum to give some solidarity to them, but for some strange reason people are objecting and causing trouble. So what if people want to stay out in the rain, do you get wet by looking at them? The sad thing is, I always thought 99% of the population of our country was nice, I guess I was wrong.

Hang on... so there's 1% of people who own most of the wealth and the world, and 1% who are peacefully protesting... and there are 99% of people who are feeling hard done by and complaining and there's 99% who everyone else isn't asking anything of and who aren't really nice after all... It's a little too convenient if you ask me...

Mrs OBumble

galwayfellaBETA wrote: »

It raises awareness of the issue.

I'm presuming that if they have that time on their hands they are unemployed.
There are no jobs to be had in this economy and the comment "Wouldn't they be better off at work if more money is what they want?" completely misses the point. The point is... even with a good education & an average paying job, living standard of the 99% are being eroded so the 1% can profit + have swankier beach house in malibu.

In 2009, that was true.

But this is 2011, a number of things have moved on. I've been in full time work (4 different temping gigs) since mid-December. I've heard similar stories from other people. Yes, in Galway.

I do think that Irish public morality needs a swift kick up the rear end - but at every level of society. Don't accept that 99% are blameless at all.




Latest passer-by report: looks like a couple of extra tents there, and a front-door also. Sign says they have "assembly" at 1pm and 6pm.

JONJO THE MISER

Where were these people last night when someone was getting beaten up in Eyre Square?
As with all these little protest movements i can imagine there are leadership battles within the group, id love to camp out there myself not as part of the protest ad drink lot of beer and see what they say to me, or are they forming there only little clique and wont accept others if they dont accept there rules?
And if they are setting out rules what gives them the right, afterall it is public property there on.

inisboffin

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Where were these people last night when someone was getting beaten up in Eyre Square?
As with all these little protest movements i can imagine there are leadership battles within the group, id love to camp out there myself not as part of the protest ad drink lot of beer and see what they say to me, or are they forming there only little clique and wont accept others if they dont accept there rules?
And if they are setting out rules what gives them the right, afterall it is public property there on.

I'd bet money that the incident with the guy getting beaten up had was drink involved. Fair play to the protesters for having the cop on to know that this makes interactions messy, and having the discipline say 'no drink' - as mentioned earlier it is against the law, and I'm sure if someone spotted one of them with a can, someone would be on here calling them *drunken* hippies as well!

In terms of stepping in to a row - sure there are fights on the hour at the Square at night! Be they messing, joking or actual serious incidents. Why didn't 40 taxi drivers step in either. That makes no sense.

Shakti

Just a smallish point but I think the protest is called 'Occupy Eyre Sq.' in keeping with the more exact location title detail of other 'Occupy' protests ie. 'Occupy Wall st.' not 'Occupy New York' and 'Occupy Dame st.' not 'Occupy Dublin'

pjmn

Whether one agrees or disagrees with them it's a wet and windy night for them there tonight ...

WallyGUFC

Irishgoatman wrote: »

It is not more money for themselves that they are after.

They, like hundreds of thousands of other people around the world, are trying to get the message over that 99% of the people are struggling to make ends meet, whilst many of the people who were responsible for our financial situation, and they have been named on t.v. news progs, are still living the high life.

Anyone who feels that they have not, in any way, been affected by the current crisis should count themselves lucky.

I'm a 66 year old pensioner and I can feel the financial pinch.

If 99% of people were struggling to make ends meet there'd be anarchy in the streets of Ireland and the wider world. Certainly lots are struggling but 99% come on! 15 or so tents in Eyre Square isn't going to make a difference, especially when they're just sitting there all day and not even protesting.

Also, I'd love to see what they'd do with the economy if they got their wish and the IMF left.

Head The Wall

galwayfellaBETA wrote: »

Yeah.... and how does that make me a vested interest? (are you making assumptions that could be incorrect?)

Here, have a read of one of their demands

Our demand is that the private bank debt that has been socialised and burdened upon the population of the country who had nothing to do with it be lifted. We will not pay and let our children and their children pay for this crisis that private banks and bondholders have caused. It is their problem, not ours.

See the bit in bold, that applies to you and all people that took out mortgages during the boom, if there wan't demand for shoddily built overpriced houses builders wouldn't have built them.

If you don't have a mortgage or didn't buy a house in the last ten years well then you may not be part of the problem.

Shakti

Theres about a million other places I'd look before even beginning to suggest that people who took out mortgages to put/keep a roof over their head are in someway by default responsible for this/other and subsequent economic crises.