Sky: "Protesters Storm Irish Parliament"

zenno · 12-05-2010 2:39am

the irish people should right now or in the next couple of weeks form a coup and oust the government and run the bankers off this island permenantly. their are a nice few people that are willing to do it but not enough as most of the irish are lazy people that shouldn't be even called irish.

D-Generate · 12-05-2010 2:44am

zenno wrote: »

the irish people should right now or in the next couple of weeks form a coup and oust the government and run the bankers off this island permenantly. their are a nice few people that are willing to do it but not enough as most of the irish are lazy people that shouldn't be even called irish.

What about the hairdresser in Tallaght who took out a loan and remortgaged her house to keep up the payments? Or those that falsified their mortgage applications? Should we kick out those people too? The banks didn't force them to take on these financial obligations. There are very few people squeaky clean in all this.

zenno · 12-05-2010 2:51am

D-Generate wrote: »

What about the hairdresser in Tallaght who took out a loan and remortgaged her house to keep up the payments? Or those that falsified their mortgage applications? Should we kick out those people too? The banks didn't force them to take on these financial obligations. There are very few people squeaky clean in all this.

well thats a simple answer the banks should not have given her a loan in the first place. and don't be trying to make out that half the country is the cause of this mess it is not. people still think the government is in control and always was but in fact it is the bankers that have full control of the government as such the banks can do anything they please. something seriously needs to be done soon because if it is not this exact thing will happen again in the future. a coup should have been formed a long time ago to remove all sick twisted governmental and banking associates from this island. the time will come eventually i'm sure. it has to or we will be always stuck in this loop.

and anyone that falsified their mortgage applications should be dealt with by the law.

ynotdu · 12-05-2010 2:55am

zenno wrote: »

the irish people should right now or in the next couple of weeks form a coup and oust the government and run the bankers off this island permenantly. their are a nice few people that are willing to do it but not enough as most of the irish are lazy people that shouldn't be even called irish.

Yes the Irish are so lazy that at the height of the boom Ireland had full employment.
The measurement of that is 5% of a countries jobseekers are on the Live register,in fact ours dropped below that.So much for that cheap remark by You zenno.

I agree with the poster who thinks protesting will harm us more,really the sad fact is that behaving like sheep is the only option open to us now.

within the boundaries of sheepishness still the most vunerable should be protected,that patently is not the case,and never will when some see themselves more entitled to be happy than others.

Valmont · 12-05-2010 2:55am

Sandvich wrote: »

You are far too confident in your own speaking ability. The only reason you can keep a straight face is that I do not believe you are capable of making any kind of emotional connection to people in a situation different to your own. This is when people start using words like "bleeding heart" since they can't understand why people smarter than them give a toss.

Let me get this straight- your conclusion is that you're smarter than I am and I'm an emotionless husk, devoid of empathy for those less fortunate than myself?

Bravo on that response good sir.

Dublin is now cheaper to live in than London. An eighteen year old in Dublin gets 100 euro to live on per week and an eighteen year old in London gets the equivalent of 60 euro to live on per week. I'm presuming that there are many unemployed young people in London who get by with this amount of money, would you agree with that? And given the popularity of the Youth Against Dole Cuts group and the Live4less card, is it not apparent that Irish welfare payments are so high that they are openly being spent on things above and beyond the necessities? Knowing that, can you still defend extortionately high welfare payments? Maybe not with a straight face, but perhaps without the spittle flying everywhere.

D-Generate · 12-05-2010 3:06am

zenno wrote: »

well thats a simple answer the banks should not have given her a loan in the first place. and don't be trying to make out that half the country is the cause of this mess it is not. people still think the government is in control and always was but in fact it is the bankers that have full control of the government as such the banks can do anything they please. something seriously needs to be done soon because if it is not this exact thing will happen again in the future. a coup should have been formed a long time ago to remove all sick twisted governmental and banking associates from this island. the time will come eventually i'm sure. it has to or we will be always stuck in this loop.

and anyone that falsified their mortgage applications should be dealt with by the law.

No you are wrong, both the lender and the borrower have responsibilities. The banks should have been stricter on the lending and the borrowers shouldn't have been trying to take on loans that they couldn't afford. It was poor practices by both sides that got us in to this mess. To think that the bankers are just the devil is short-sighted and will end up in a large proportion of the country refusing to shoulder the blame.

We are a free market society and as such the only thing that will see us survive is a capitalist mindset. To this end the bail out of the banks is a necessity so that they can begin to start trading again and provide liquidity to the Irish market. Sure some of this will go to bonuses but considerably more will go towards providing loans to people wanting to start businesses which will result in employment.

If you have read any books whatsoever on economics then you will know that the financial policies of any left-wing organization up to and including the Labour party will not suit a country that relies heavily on foreign investment and imports. Its not like we have the commodities to make us an isolationist state.

ynotdu · 12-05-2010 3:09am

Valmont the UK has the lowest unemployment rates in Europe.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
their is a problem in that the higher payments for some people on benifit is too close to the minimum wage.
Lovely for people who want to hang around doing nothing{very few of them as was proven at the height of the boom.}

For the vast majority unemployment is a living hell.

zenno · 12-05-2010 3:15am

quote: So much for that cheap remark by You zenno.

you are missing my point. throughout the times the irish moaned and cried because they were screwed constantly but never once have they said enough is enough. surely i don't need to explain who destroyed this country again do i ? I am simply saying enough IS enough and the people have to fight for whats right and get out and do something about it so it doesn't happen again. is it that hard to contemplate.

QUOTE: I agree with the poster who thinks protesting will harm us more,really the sad fact is that behaving like sheep is the only option open to us now.

yes because we let it and such we will always be like sheep. enough of this entanglement of laziness to fix the problem. what happened to this country is traitorism on both government and bankers sides and they should be taken down. do you really want to use the excuse that we are like sheep now and can't do anything ? well if thats the case you have nowere left to go in irish society as life will always be like this for you and other irish people that think the same.

zenno · 12-05-2010 3:18am

QUOTE: The banks should have been stricter on the lending.

precisely my point, the banks knew quite well hardly anyone would be able to pay them back so on their part (the bank that is) they should not have loaned.

QUOTE: To think that the bankers are just the devil is short-sighted.

are you serious.

DeVore · 12-05-2010 3:19am

LESS PERSONAL ATTACKS PEOPLE.... KTHXBYE.

DeV.

ynotdu · 12-05-2010 3:28am

Zenno You don't need to explain it to me at all,i can see it quite clearly.

Capatalism seems to be the least worst type of economic culture.It is and always was cyclical in nature so there is a collective responsibility in the sense that it does not take a great historian to see that,proably a 12 page synopsis of it would have done.

We are paying the cost of ignoring the lessons of history.

We will pay an even higher one if we bring violence into the equation.

zenno · 12-05-2010 3:34am

ynotdu wrote: »

Zenno You don't need to explain it to me at all,i can see it quite clearly.

Capatalism seems to be the least worst type of economic culture.It is and always was cyclical in nature so there is a collective responsibility in the sense that it does not take a great historian to see that,proably a 12 page synopsis of it would have done.

We are paying the cost of ignoring the lessons of history.

We will pay an even higher one if we bring violence into the equation.

well something has to be done.

ynotdu · 12-05-2010 3:47am

zenno wrote: »

well something has to be done.

Yes try ride the waves,hope that the planned attack on the Euro was foiled not just slowed down by the meeting of EU finance ministers on sunday.

Somehow assuming there is no wave two that finishs the global economy off,I think THIS time the world has been changed forever.

anyways far too late now to try to go into complexities,so i'll say G'nite!:)

Morpheus · 12-05-2010 8:00am

well something has to be done

An attempted illegal removal of the government through a coup is not the answer.

If people want to protest, protest for a change in government, protest in favour of elections and let the people who we think can get us out of the quagmire we are in, get voted by the people into power. Let them put their money where their mouth is.

We are a grown up democratic society, yes we have the right to protest but numpties like the violent minority yesterday should be kept away from peaceful demonstrations.

If this is supposed to be a demo every tuesday, just you wait and see how hard it will be for the protestors to get withing 100m of the Dail next week after that farcicle episode last night. The gardai were just doing their jobs, you think that THEY are happy with their own cuts? they probably morally support the protests, right up to the point where some hoody wearing scumbag tries to clock them with a flagpole.

Our own economic stability will be viewed in the same light as the greeks if these types of violent outbreaks from anarchists and republicans (with completely different agendas than the main body protestors) are allowed to continue unchecked.

seamus · 12-05-2010 8:29am

Morphéus wrote: »

If this is supposed to be a demo every tuesday, just you wait and see how hard it will be for the protestors to get withing 100m of the Dail next week after that farcicle episode last night.

Remember Lansdowne Road when a group of British scumbags came to town? The Gardai will have no problems showing the same force if these Irish scumbags show up again next week.

The Gardai at large might not be married to the current government, but they do strongly support and uphold our democracy and will flatten any SWP idiot who tries to undermine that.

Fuhrer · 12-05-2010 8:46am

zenno wrote: »

well something has to be done.

Aye, lets all get soem socialist flags and run at Gardai.

prinz · 12-05-2010 9:01am

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

People were innocently assaulted by the Gardai. There were at least a half dozen people with head injuries from batton charges from the Gardai who completely overreacted. Yeah protect the precious house of parliament but by assaulting innocent people partaking in a peaceful protest? Sickening....

http://vimeo.com/11668031

Could you watch this and tell me who was "innocently assaulted" (

). Half a dozen people with head injuries?

Seems to me like the peaceful protestors were across the street behind railings having a perfectly fine peaceful protest.

seamus · 12-05-2010 9:12am

prinz wrote: »

Could you watch this and tell me who was "innocently assaulted" ( ). Half a dozen people with head injuries?

The only people assaulted here were the Gardai. It's clear that a couple of protestors were using sticks as weapons and firing "missiles" into the Gardai.

I can't see a single Garda baton in that video, maybe I missed it.

Tipp Man · 12-05-2010 9:13am

prinz wrote: »

http://vimeo.com/11668031

Could you watch this and tell me who was "innocently assaulted" ( ). Half a dozen people with head injuries?

Seems to me like the peaceful protestors were across the street behind railings having a perfectly fine peaceful protest.

Well done to the Gardai on duty I say

12-05-2010 9:20am

i for 1 do not agree with a lot of the governments mistakes, but i also look at other circumstances,
- theres a world wide recession, ireland as a small island nation was always going to be hit hard
- people gave out about roads not up to scratch so bertie announced massive road building plans which cost a lot of money, it was only part funded by the eu
- every contractor took advantage, over running costs cos there no consequences until the government changed the rules about 5 or 6 years back, can't remember exactly how long. point being everyone gained, contractors, there workers etc so not just the government are to blame
- people have been skiving the dole and there benefits for years, other people turned a blind eye with the famous line "if they can get away with it, fair fcuks to them", so we are to blame, everybody knows somebody "working under the counter" jobs or they previously did and did nothing.
- all this bertie scandal, it shocked me that plenty were upset when he left
- if the government clamped down years ago on the construction bubble it might have staved off the bank crisis but every discipline from electrician to labourer were on the gravy train and were making crazy money, now that its burst and jobs are scarce they blame the government for everything but if the government had in my opinion curbed the boom to prevent the massive collapse these same people would have been shouting that the government are preventing them from a living and so on.

more positive notes

- we've had 14 years of effectively free third level education bar the fees, significantly increased in the last year, but still generously means tested, and although the €1500 price they are still well below the uk where students leave college with debts on average of 30,000 pounds
- our roads and rail have significantly improved, there is no denying this
- our welfare is still generous even for the €100 a week sector, majority of dole recipitants under 24 still live at home, and as mentioned about 1 person under 24 living with RA of €25 a week can still live a decent life, go shop in lidl, for €25 for 1 person you can get a bunch of stuff, allow another €10 for bills and your left with €40. live within your means, buy clothes from penneys and not sports or designer shops.
- we still don't pay rates, the uk do
- we up until 2 years ago didnt pay extra fees for additional homes, if the government had added this years ago there would have been uproar from builders, builders employees, 2nd home owners, etc etc

i struggle to have sympathy with ex builders (as in employees) who now blame the government for all there troubles because they bought a house during the boom which there high wages helped push up the price of, many might say this was a minority but in my case it was the majority.

my sympathies lie with the people turning 18-19-20 now cos they have little opportunity or college grads, these people who protested more than likely reaped the benefits and lived the high life. unions have no right to protest, they contributed massively to this mess, demanding increases during the boom helping push up prices in doing so. the majority of this country is to blame and not just the government.

i myself graduated 2 years ago and had to leave cos i couldnt find a job, i'm not resentful towards the government, if not for them i would be educated, the world economy is a mess, when things pick up will we learn from past mistakes, unfortunately i dont think so.

as for greece, they caused there own mess and have made themselves even worse with there violent protests, no investor will want to touch a country like that, do we want the same treatment.

Amhran Nua · 12-05-2010 9:26am

Victor wrote: »

Those at the front causing the trouble had éirígí and Socialist Worker flags, the others were in the main crowd, non-involved in the violence.

Yup, it was those halfwits in the SWP behind this as usual. They are attempting to "radicalise" people and recreate the situation in Greece, happily most Irish people have more than the mental capacity of a duck and so wouldn't get involved with them.

A Socialist Workers Party representative Mary Smith said she received a blow to the head when she and others attempted to gain access to the front concourse of Leinster House through the gate.
“We tried to get into the Dáil to make our point as forcefully as we could,” she said.
“We all arrived at the gate at the same time. The police locked arms. There was a push. People behind me, I was kind of jammed there.
“The policeman in front of me looked me in the eye and reached over and deliberately hit me as hard as he could.”

At the risk of lowering the tone, lol.

seamus · 12-05-2010 9:26am

Deleted User wrote: »

my sympathies lie with the people turning 18-19-20 now cos they have little opportunity or college grads

Personally my sympathies lie with people in their late fifties and early sixties who've been paying into a pension fund for the last 30 years which has now been all but left worthless.
Economies boom and bust, jobs come and go, people at 18/19/20 have their whole life ahead of them, they won't be jobless for more than a couple of years, and they will eventually get their chance to suckle on the teat of an economic boom.
But many people at or close to retirement who spent their time making sure they would be provided for when retirement came, now have little or nothing to show for it, and no way of catching up again.

The rest of us will survive. Debt is temporary, money is fleeting.

Permabear · 12-05-2010 9:30am

This post has been deleted.

12-05-2010 9:32am

ok i point taken, but you can choose where you pension investment lie, i personally would have only about 20-30% based on stock markets, pensions based on irish markets are screwed but pensions based of world indices aren't as bad, the dow jones is now 20% off its record high, a big drop but will recover as record earnings coming out of the us. pensions can also be based on metals, now at record highs or other commodities and pensions can also have bonds in them which are also earning record yields, you get to choose where your pension goes, obviously financials are screwed

prinz · 12-05-2010 9:32am

seamus wrote: »

I can't see a single Garda baton in that video, maybe I missed it.

I can see one definitely, at 23 seconds with the garda in the middle, he seems to swing down around waist height, and it doesn't look he made any contact with anyone, more a move to keep people moving back.

mkeano · 12-05-2010 9:33am

While I don't condone trying to storm the Dail, I can understand the anger of people and sometimes I think we Irish don't do enough to vent our frustrations. The government play us off each other with a public v private debate which has dominated media and public attention more than the bank bail outs and government incompetence. People have fallen for government spin.

Tipp Man · 12-05-2010 9:34am

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

He clearly didn't hit her hard enough

Amhran Nua · 12-05-2010 9:37am

mkeano wrote: »

sometimes I think we Irish don't do enough to vent our frustrations.

Its sadly ironic that the likes of the SWP have stopped a hell of a lot more people from protesting than they've ever got on the streets.

gollem_1975 · 12-05-2010 10:24am

Originally Posted by seamus
I can't see a single Garda baton in that video, maybe I missed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2lEez-U4RY

batons were drawn alright but the guy receiving treatment at the end looks like he was hit from behind by a flag pole ( see 5.06mins into the clip )

Nodin · 12-05-2010 10:26am

It would seem the word "storm" has - like the Irish property market - lost most of it's value.

gollem_1975 · 12-05-2010 10:34am

Nodin wrote: »

It would seem the word "storm" has - like the Irish property market - lost most of it's value.

I think the original thread title was based on the sensationalist Sky News headline which broke the story last night

seamus · 12-05-2010 10:39am

gollem_1975 wrote: »

batons were drawn alright but the guy receiving treatment at the end looks like he was hit from behind by a flag pole ( see 5.06mins into the clip )

He was too; one of the protestors behind him swung a pole indiscriminately like a sword and smacked him on the top of the head.

From what I can see, only one Garda has a proper "baton", the others are using the smaller retractable baton which is mainly used for self-defence and small crowd control, which is exactly what this was.

Once again, a solid and professional performance by the Gardai.

dlofnep · 12-05-2010 10:42am

Valmont wrote: »

Unemployment benefit for someone aged 18-24 is extortionately high. Compare it to the UK and then tell me again that they 'need it to barely get by'. I currently work five days a week on the minimum wage and if I switched to the dole I would only earn around 60 euro less. Can you not see the incentives young people have to stay at home and not look for jobs?

Yeah, we all work - and we all make x amount of money. The fact of the matter is - it's the youth of Ireland which has the least employed - and the jobs just aren't there for them. The single them out is discrimination. They have bills to pay too, and a life to live. Comparing it to Britain doesn't mean much - because the cost of living in Britain is severely less than Ireland. It's moot either way - because a 25 year old and a 24 year old share similar responsibilities. Why say one should have half the support, and the other full support?

Valmont wrote: »

I don't know how you can actually support a group that is campaigning to keep ridiculously high unemployment benefits so that young people can have nights out on the town, join up at curves gym, eat at Captain Americas, and buy suits at Cuff's formal wear, all at the taxpayer's expense. Don't fool yourself, unemployment benefits long ceased their basic functions of helping people barely scrape by, they are now blatantly, openly, and unashamedly about maintaining unearned lifestyles and luxuries with money taken from those who actually get up in the morning to go to work.

Now, please defend them again, with a straight face.

Who said I supported the above? What utter hyperbole.

And if you think that people are living lavish lifestyles on the dole, you're seriously mistaken. Sure, there will always be some who abuse the system and make it a lifestyle - but why punish everyone for the actions of a few? That seems to be the agenda in this country as of late.

Scarab80 · 12-05-2010 10:55am

mkeano wrote: »

While I don't condone trying to storm the Dail, I can understand the anger of people and sometimes I think we Irish don't do enough to vent our frustrations. The government play us off each other with a public v private debate which has dominated media and public attention more than the bank bail outs and government incompetence. People have fallen for government spin.

Or maybe people in this country are more intelligent than you give them credit for and realise that we will be borrowing about 20bn this year to pay for social welfare and public services and about 1bn to bail out the banks.

Perhaps you shouldn't fall for the socialist spin and look at the figures.

mkeano · 12-05-2010 12:25pm

Scarab80 wrote: »

Or maybe people in this country are more intelligent than you give them credit for and realise that we will be borrowing about 20bn this year to pay for social welfare and public services and about 1bn to bail out the banks.

Perhaps you shouldn't fall for the socialist spin and look at the figures.

You missed my point, I'm not defending the public sector and it has absolutely nothing to do with socialism. Yes there needed to be cuts and I also believe the public sector needs to be reformed but the government and the media have been sensationalising issues that have always been there and by doing so are deflecting attention away from the government. I think people need to be more angry with the banks and the government for allowing the economy to get into its current state, I think the government should have fallen over the entire fiasco and in any other country they wouldn't have accepted their incompetence.

FTA69 · 12-05-2010 12:43pm

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

These guys are no hippy. Anarchists with republican link most likely. I saw few pictures that showed Eirigí banners. These guys have a bit of a history when it comes to violent protests.

They don't really. The cops were the only people there beating people over the heads with batons. But I suppose what would you expect from a pig only a grunt.

prinz · 12-05-2010 12:48pm

FTA69 wrote: »

The cops were the only people there beating people over the heads with batons..

Any pictures or videos of cops beating people over the head with batons? I have only seen one head injury and that was caught on video being caused by another protestor.

Fuhrer · 12-05-2010 12:53pm

gollem_1975 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2lEez-U4RY

batons were drawn alright but the guy receiving treatment at the end looks like he was hit from behind by a flag pole ( see 5.06mins into the clip )

Several protestors should have been arrested for assault.

conorhal · 12-05-2010 12:53pm

FTA69 wrote: »

They don't really. The cops were the only people there beating people over the heads with batons. But I suppose what would you expect from a pig only a grunt.

I noted those Eirigi banners with some considerable concern because those nutters have very strong links with dissident republicanism.
One of their members was arrested for murder after the killing as the Massereene barracks in Antrim. And were there's one, there's more. Sure you get the usual denials about how they are an unaffiliated, non-violent protest group, but then Nordie thugs have always been comfortable talking out of both sides of their mouths. The fact is that Eirigi are a dangerous bunch and their appearance is worrying and does not bode well for peaceful protestors.

murphaph · 12-05-2010 12:56pm

Scarab80 wrote: »

Or maybe people in this country are more intelligent than you give them credit for and realise that we will be borrowing about 20bn this year to pay for social welfare and public services and about 1bn to bail out the banks.

Perhaps you shouldn't fall for the socialist spin and look at the figures.

I hope to God the people are clever enough to realise that most of this trouble is of our own making. Blaming FF and a load of faceless builders and bankers is such a ****in cop out it does my head in.

FF could have been removed from government 3 times during the post 1990s export led boom. The people clearly agreed with their section 23s and rampant house price inflation or they would have been voted out a decade ago. These groups of raggle taggle wasters would be better advised to vote. I don't know what they were doing at the Dail anyway, sure there was probably nobody home!

I have no problem with peaceful protest, so long as the people doing it back it up by using the political processes available to them (ie, voting). I hate idiots who don't vote, showing up to these loonie leftie get togethers.

Morpheus · 12-05-2010 1:05pm

And were there's one, there's more. Sure you get the usual denials about how they are an unaffiliated, non-violent protest group, but then Nordie thugs have always been comfortable talking out of both sides of their mouths Ar$e$.

Saw that bloke get clobbered from behind, plenty of hoody wearing scroats there causing mayhem, you could plainly see the more carnival athmosphered main protest group were visibly shaken by what happened.

As for newspaper reports that 100 protestors tried to get in? more like 40 muppets and 60 news reporters!!!

Coillte_Bhoy · 12-05-2010 1:09pm

RATM wrote: »

I've no doubt that there was a quick phone call from the Garda Press Office to RTE and other Irish news agencies telling them not to report it until its under control.

Otherwise they risk loads more like myself heading down there right now to join in the fun.

Sky news however are UK based and they won't be told when or what to report by the Gardai. Our media on the other hands are a bunch of compliant ****.

Ya whatever and of course in Britain Sky wont do the bidding of the tory govt???

sensibleken · 12-05-2010 1:15pm

it is unfortunate nature of protests that they the most visible participants are always the loonies because theyre the ones who bring flags. Eirigí, SWP will always be at any protest regardless of what it is about and piss everyone else there off.

that is not to say that any protester not carrying a banner is in any way associated with them so lets not pile them all into a loony left category

peacefull protest is a very healthy thing for a society. it is a way of telling politicians that you are not satisfied with what is going on. yes we can vote them out in two years but two years is a long time for anyone thats hurting for the moment.and yes i am a socialist and no i was not on the march

Coillte_Bhoy · 12-05-2010 1:15pm

murphaph wrote: »

I hope to God the people are clever enough to realise that most of this trouble is of our own making. Blaming FF and a load of faceless builders and bankers is such a ****in cop out it does my head in.

FF could have been removed from government 3 times during the post 1990s export led boom. The people clearly agreed with their section 23s and rampant house price inflation or they would have been voted out a decade ago. These groups of raggle taggle wasters would be better advised to vote. I don't know what they were doing at the Dail anyway, sure there was probably nobody home!

I have no problem with peaceful protest, so long as the people doing it back it up by using the political processes available to them (ie, voting). I hate idiots who don't vote, showing up to these loonie leftie get togethers.

How do you know who voted or not? Ridiculous assumption to make. You dont know what they were doing at the Dail??? FFS, you sound really clued in.

FTA69 · 12-05-2010 1:19pm

prinz wrote: »

Any pictures or videos of cops beating people over the head with batons? I have only seen one head injury and that was caught on video being caused by another protestor.

The papers today were stating that the cops used batons on people, I doubt the Irish Examiner is engaging in lefty propaganda. Similarly I also spoke to one fella who was struck a number of times with a police baton.

conorhal,

One of their members was arrested for murder after the killing as the Massereene barracks in Antrim.

Former member.

The fact is that Eirigi are a dangerous bunch and their appearance is worrying and does not bode well for peaceful protestors.

And what makes them dangerous, interestingly enough they're the only Republican party that doesn't have links with an armed group and neither do they espouse the validity of an armed struggle.

ballsymchugh · 12-05-2010 1:26pm

FTA69 wrote: »

And what makes them dangerous, interestingly enough they're the only Republican party that doesn't have links with an armed group and neither do they espouse the validity of an armed struggle.

i'm pretty sure sinn féin have said for years that they had no links with the PIRA. dlofnep, with due respect, can you confirm?

the guy that had the little cut on his head was the first person to lose his footing early on when the crowd pushed towards the gate then. did he not cut his head then? why would you join a bunch like that if you're not great on your feet?
don't get me started on the health and safety of attending the wounds of a stranger without wearing gloves!!

Victor · 12-05-2010 1:31pm

Scarab80 wrote: »

Or maybe people in this country are more intelligent than you give them credit for and realise that we will be borrowing about 20bn this year to pay for social welfare and public services and about 1bn to bail out the banks.

The banks already have a multiple of that.

Fuhrer · 12-05-2010 1:45pm

FTA69 wrote: »

The papers today were stating that the cops used batons on people, I doubt the Irish Examiner is engaging in lefty propaganda. Similarly I also spoke to one fella who was struck a number of times with a police baton.

Not beating people over the head though, is it?

Former member.

Still a member

And what makes them dangerous, interestingly enough they're the only Republican party that doesn't have links with an armed group and neither do they espouse the validity of an armed struggle.

Former members who commited murder?

prinz · 12-05-2010 1:50pm

FTA69 wrote: »

The papers today were stating that the cops used batons on people, I doubt the Irish Examiner is engaging in lefty propaganda. Similarly I also spoke to one fella who was struck a number of times with a police baton...

The gardaín can be seen using batons to keep people back ( not beating anyone, simply using a baton to keep people at arms distance ), but I have yet to see ay evidence of people being "beaten over the head" by gardaí, the only person across a number of videos I have seen so far being struck on the head was hit by a fellow protestor waving a flagpole around.

Is this really going to turn into one of those 'I was there...' moments :rolleyes:

Permabear · 12-05-2010 2:02pm

This post has been deleted.

Sky: "Protesters Storm Irish Parliament"

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