National - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Pre-Election Water Charges National Demonstration - Another Ireland Is Possible! -Sat 20th Feb

national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | event notice

Tuesday February 16, 2016 23:45

by right2water - Right2Water

Right2WaterIRL at gmail dot com

Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 @ 2pm Sat 20th Feb

Right2Water/Right2Change are hosting a national protest against water charges and a festival for change ahead of the 2016 election.

'Another Ireland is Possible', but we have to fight for it. We have a Right2Water, a Right2Health, a Right2Education, a Right2Housing and we deserve a country that's not based on cronyism, corruption or greed, but instead one based on equality, democracy and social justice.

Here are 18 reasons to get out and join this historic demonstration:

1. Ireland is one of the most unequal countries in the European Union.

2. More than ten percent of people suffer from food poverty.

3. 1,500 children are living in emergency accommodation.

4. Lone parents – who are the most deprived group in the State with 63% already experiencing material deprivation – had their supports cut.

5. 36 percent of children experience multiple deprivation.

6. 73 families are becoming homeless every month.

7. 300,000 have emigrated since the current government took power.

8. Despite the enormous emigration figures, 200,000 are still in search of a job.

9. We have the second highest prevalence of low pay in the entire OECD.

10. There are 130,000 people on the social housing waiting lists

11. The Phoenix charity expects 50,000 families to lose their homes in the next few years.

12. We have the second highest prevalence of under-employment in the EU15 (ie 147,000 workers who want more hours but their employer will not give them those hours).

13. We have record numbers of people (600) waiting on trolleys in our underfunded public hospitals.

14. 470,000 people have nothing left to spend after all bills are paid and 1.7 million say they have less than €100 to spend after all essential bills have been paid.

15. The number of millionaires in Ireland has increased from 16,000 in 2008 to 91,000 in 2014.

16. Water charges will be continued unless we achieve real change in Dáil Éireann.

17. 37,000 families are in mortgage arrears of two years or more.

18. 11,000 patients have been waiting 18 months or more for an outpatient appointment.

This is not a "recovery" for the vast majority of people in this country and it is certainly not the vision of the heroes of 1916. So on Saturday, 20th February 2016, we will be assembling at the Garden of Remembrance in memory of those who died for a fair Ireland, one that put people first instead of financiers, speculators and corporations.

See you all there: be part of the change that this country needs and deserves!

Print a flyer here: PDF See Feb20-Flyer.pdf

Print a poster here: PDF See Feb20-Poster.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/events/1100842823382766/

PDF of Flyer for Feb 20th 0.81 Mb PDF of Poster for Feb 20th 0.25 Mb

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Comments (2 of 2)

This estimate is contradicted

by Andy

Sun Feb 21, 2016 16:34

The Sunday World report estimates that 20,000 turned out for the water charges and anti-austerity protest. It states that the rainy weather was a factor.

Right2Change estimate turnout of up to 80,000 at today's rally

by 1 of Indymedia

Sat Feb 20, 2016 22:51

Comment from Right2Change facebook.

Change in the air as 80,000 take to streets of Dublin

An estimated 80,000 people took to the streets of Dublin today (Saturday 20 February) in a pre-election demonstration and ‘Festival for Change’ organised by the Right2Water and Right2Change campaigns.

Commenting, Unite official and Right2Water/Right2Change coordinator Brendan Ogle said:

“The huge turnout at today’s demonstration, on the final Saturday before the General Election, sends a clear message to the outgoing Government that public anger at water charges remains unabated and will be reflected in the ballot boxes next Friday.

“But it was always clear that the hundreds of thousands who have taken to the streets of our towns and cities over the past eighteen months have not just been protesting against water charges.

“Water charges have been the tipping point for many people – but they are just one manifestation of the austerity policies pursued by the outgoing Government and the previous Fianna Fail/Green coalition.

“Today’s event also heard from two homeless women who took to the stage with their children to tell the crowd what it’s like to be denied one of the most basic rights in a civilised society: a secure home in which to raise a family.

“So far, 106 candidates have signed up to the Right2Change Policy Principles – the principles which would underpin a new progressive Government. Today, many of them came to Dublin and took to the stage to say “Another Ireland is Possible”.

“This coming Friday, February 26th, people in every constituency will have a chance to vote for one or more ‘Candidates4Change’. Another Ireland will become possible on polling day”, Brendan Ogle concluded.

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Pre-Election Water Charges National Demonstration - Another Ireland Is Possible! -Sat 20th Feb

Comments (2 of 2)