Realistically, can a protest be organised that makes a difference?

hatrickpatrick · 25-08-2012 08:53PM

Cool Mo D wrote: »

Compare with occupy Dame street - no single clear stated goal, principally supported by people who would never vote for government parties no matter what they do: easily ignored.

Occupy did have a goal, its main focus was on bringing those at the top of the financial sector to justice for the countless crimes and broken regulations they have committed. If you actually went to the ODS camp you would have seen that the biggest poster they had was a gigantic cheque from the Irish people to Anglo Irish Bank, with no amount specified. But of course, it's easy enough to dismiss such protests, when it's the easiest option.
The fact that only a small handful of people came out to protest against the bailouts of financial institutions which chose of their own free will to f*ck up, with our money, is an absolutely shocking commentary on the state of the Irish people's morale.

rubadubduba · 25-08-2012 09:50PM

the price of petrol is crippling people and we stand by and let it happen. if anything there is a good place to start a protest, they recon we could be paying up to two euro a liter by the end of the year. the french goverment gave their people a break from soaring petrol prices but our sloppy goverment wont budge so i think it would be a good idea to band together and block all the citys to a standstill and let them know how we feel.

Guy:Incognito · 25-08-2012 10:08PM

rubadubduba wrote: »

, they recon we could be paying up to two euro a liter by the end of the year..

They reckoned that last year too.

Bolitar · 25-08-2012 11:10PM

Heard an oil trader on rte radio one saying that price of petrol should come down in 3 to 4 weeks as some maintenance repairs to oil pipes will be finished.

Biggins · 25-08-2012 11:13PM

Bolitar wrote: »

Heard an oil trader on rte radio one saying that price of petrol should come down in 3 to 4 weeks as some maintenance repairs to oil pipes will be finished.

"Should" but seeing as many garages are tied to contacts, we might be lucky.

Amazing how they can shove the price up so quick, day per day (when they buying it in at a prior fixed contracted price) but when its pointed out that its should be lower "Aaa.. well, we have these contracts you see!"

Bolitar · 25-08-2012 11:35PM

A garage gets a delivery, pays x per litre sells it on, gets another delivery pays x a litre .. from what I see at local garage this takes place once or twice a week so slowly but surely the price should come down if the garage is paying less per litre.

Biggins · 25-08-2012 11:38PM

Bolitar wrote: »

A garage gets a delivery, pays x per litre sells it on, gets another delivery pays x a litre .. from what I see at local garage this takes place once or twice a week so slowly but surely the price should come down if the garage is paying less per litre.

The larger garage companies buy in contract bulk quantities at pre-fixed prices (as do a lot of airlines by the way).
Sometimes they buy up to a year or more in advance.

Am Chile · 25-08-2012 11:44PM

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

Flicking through the news stories & it seems we are about to get shafted, again, with the next budget.
Is it possible to organise a protest or do something that actually grabs the attention of the government & makes them listen to the people of Ireland for a change?
Personally I've had enough of the whole lot. You can't take money people don't have. I'm not an accountant or a financial wizard but even I know this.

I'm not looking for vigilante answers to this.

Can anyone propose a reasonable suggestion to stop this, or at least try, before it gets completely out of hand?

The one way a protest can be organised that would make a difference is if the trade unions got off the fence to try organise protest marches like the 1979 paye tax marches with big numbers taking to the streets in every single town through out the country.

pragmatic1 · 26-08-2012 12:00AM

brummytom wrote: »

No.

I was on a march (as a child, with my family) against the Iraq war. We travelled down to London for it, and were part of a crowd of 1 million people (1 in every 60 people in the country!), and that was just one of a number of protests across the country.

Did the government listen to the biggest protest ever? Did they fuck. Governments can do what they like.

It's absolutely possible. In the 70's loyalists brought N.Ireland to its knees for a few weeks. People actually do have the power, it's organizing the people that's the hard part.

Not that I agree with anything loyalists do. Just an example.

Am Chile · 26-08-2012 12:09AM

This was one suggestion posted on the call for a revolution in Ireland page recently enough-

One
of the biggest issues people have had all along when considering attending
protests was the distance factor. Not everyone can afford to make it to Dublin
either because of work commitments or lack of funds. This seems to be part cause
of the protests being poorly attended.

Some
members have suggested protests in towns and cities around the country to
facilitate those who could not make Dubli

n. So the idea is this: What if people right across
the country set up local groups that will operate within their own county, each
with a liaison to the main group. If, on a certain day, people downed tools and
came out in defiance through civil disobedience in each county across the land.
They would stop working and stop participating in the functioning of the
state.

Dublin is but one
place and should not be the only place for making a stand. You would be more
likely to get a response by holding a day of protest in your own counties rather
than standing outside the Daíl on any given day since the Politicians would
simply ignore us and the farce would continue...

If you want to make them
take notice, you hit them where it hurts the most: In the pocket.

http://www.facebook.com/RevolutionIreland/posts/436759599709708
If a protest of this manner was organised and carried through it would be effective.

ArmaniJeanss · 26-08-2012 12:17AM

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

Flicking through the news stories & it seems we are about to get shafted, again, with the next budget.
Is it possible to organise a protest or do something that actually grabs the attention of the government & makes them listen to the people of Ireland for a change?
Personally I've had enough of the whole lot. You can't take money people don't have. I'm not an accountant or a financial wizard but even I know this.

I'm not looking for vigilante answers to this.

Can anyone propose a reasonable suggestion to stop this, or at least try, before it gets completely out of hand?

Opinion polls indicate that the government still retains popular support amongst the people, so any such protest is unlikely to succeed.

ManMade · 26-08-2012 12:20AM

I dislike the way we are shown what is coming up in the next budget so it's less of a shock on budget day, also how they promise not to touch welfare while taking money off young families and hard working people because apparently they need it less. Yes they pay because they have no choice and it's having a serious affect on their standard of living.

Annasopra · 26-08-2012 10:05AM

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

Flicking through the news stories & it seems we are about to get shafted, again, with the next budget.
Is it possible to organise a protest or do something that actually grabs the attention of the government & makes them listen to the people of Ireland for a change?
Personally I've had enough of the whole lot. You can't take money people don't have. I'm not an accountant or a financial wizard but even I know this.

I'm not looking for vigilante answers to this.

Can anyone propose a reasonable suggestion to stop this, or at least try, before it gets completely out of hand?

I'm not sure if this is what you are thinking of but Claiming Our Future Plan B alternative to austerity is well worked out

Here's details on the Plan B campaign

http://claimingourfuture.revolutionaries.ie/takeaction/

http://www.claimingourfuture.ie/reinventing-our-democracy/

They also have an event coming up in November

http://www.claimingourfuture.ie/

Life = Rhythm · 11-09-2012 11:53PM

This thread was short lived, which is indicative of the spirit meter.

Influential people like Fintan O'Toole, Vincent Browne etc. have a lot to say about social justice/change but they have little to gain by participating in/organising protest. The risk of being associated with anti-social behaviour is too high -it would be professionally devastating for them, which would be a terrible loss. So strong leaders are hard to come by.

The only proper organised public rally was the ICTU rally in Nov 2010, which had partly argued for preservation of public sector pay levels. This was the best we could do and the Gardai would have been in favour of it.

Try to protest the issue of increments being granted to the 30% of workers in the public sector earning more than €60k (benefits not specified) and you'll feel the wrath of authority. It amounts to an attack on the establishment and would not be tolerated for very long.

The Occupy movement was shut down 6 months ago now and you would have hoped that less ideologically driven protest would have taken it's place since then...

Like many, I am waiting for a constructive protest.

KingMonkey · 12-09-2012 12:07AM

they close hospitals,they bail out the banks...Irish traitors...

id expect the next budget to be a Freddy Kruger slasher part 4....

in answer to your question tho,yes probably but it would have to resemble something like the recent London riots to have any kind of affect on our e.u/troica run government...

MJ said it best "they don't really care about us"

KM

ilovesleep · 12-09-2012 12:18AM

KingMonkey wrote: »

they close hospitals,they bail out the banks...Irish traitors...

id expect the next budget to be a Freddy Kruger slasher part 4....

in answer to your question tho,yes probably but it would have to resemble something like the recent London riots to have any kind of affect on our e.u/troica run government...

MJ said it best "they don't really care about us"

KM

Not to mention to mention, its been.hinted that travel passes may be scrapped.

(ok, money and cuts has to come from somewhere to bridge the deficit.

But the fcukers will probably, no doubt, more than likely, keep their own travel expense allowance.

Talking about a smack in the fcuking face.

twinytwo · 12-09-2012 12:23AM

simply answer is no.

Irish people are great at moaning but useless when it comes to actually doing somehting about it.

The government will ignore a protest anyway..

Piste · 12-09-2012 12:35AM

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

Flicking through the news stories & it seems we are about to get shafted, again, with the next budget.
Is it possible to organise a protest or do something that actually grabs the attention of the government & makes them listen to the people of Ireland for a change?
Personally I've had enough of the whole lot. You can't take money people don't have. I'm not an accountant or a financial wizard but even I know this.

I'm not looking for vigilante answers to this.

Can anyone propose a reasonable suggestion to stop this, or at least try, before it gets completely out of hand?

Just last week people managed to protest against HSE cuts to carers and personal assistants for the disabled, and they got the cuts reversed.

It's easy to complain, not to easy to provide an alternative. We can't just cut taxes/keep them as they are while simultaneously increasing government spending/keeping it as it is while the markets wont lend to us. I really don't envy the government at the moment.

BillyMitchel · 12-09-2012 12:35AM

This came to mind, different country and different circumstances but..

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Revolution

Realistically, can a protest be organised that makes a difference?

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