Traveller Groups call for Solidarity in May 2nd Protest

by be reasonable Mon Jun 14, 2004 11:48

RE: comment - "We're still going to have rich gombeen men throwing up pig-ugly houses across rights-of-way, throwing tonnes of rubbish into illegal dumps, throwing the exhaust from their Mercs into our face and throwing their weight around our "democracy" "
Obviously all travellers arent bad. But so many people seem to approacing the issue from an ideological position and therefore seem unable to understand the wrong being commited by some travellers. I happen to know from first hand experience that illegal dumping is a big money-spinner for some travellers. What about the ever present fires to burn the plastic from copper wiring? etc. Is a balanced debate possible when some will never admit the other side of the arguement?
Marina Catterson.

by Eoin maher Tue Apr 30, 2002 13:42 eoin_maher at hotmail dot com

The government have done it again: got everything backwards:

having an abortion referendum when the morning after pill is not widely available and when the sale of condoms is still restricted.

Pumping Billions into a health service while failing to change the principal that if you can pay you skip the cue.

Advocating the setup of a police ombudsman in the North while letting the police continue investigate themselves in the republic.

And now we have this edition to the already restrictive public orde act before they have provided the housing and halting sites the travelling community was promised.

Some legislation is neccessary to combat the practice of travellers moving onto land and only leaving after being bribed. (presently bribing the travellers is easier and cheaper than getting a court order to have them removed). But this legislation i9s not it

Eoin Maher

by Steve McFarlane Mon Apr 29, 2002 18:24 SteveMcF at Hotmail dot com

The fact is that the Government of Ireland made provisions for the setting up of halting sites for Travellers and it failed in doing so.

So in typical FF fashion, they bring out a Law that makes Travellers look bad and them look good when in fact the Irish Gov has literally fucked over the Travelling community and has relegated them to criminal status.

Know Racism Bertie? I don't bloody think so.

Steve

by joey jo jo Thu Apr 25, 2002 20:42

I do not see how travellers sitting where they want can possibly be compared to Protesting.

I am fully aware of the workings of the bill and how it effects anti-tresspass legislation.

Dont assume that because I go against the crap and a blue sky attitude that I am uneducated.

Protests that involve tresspass really should not be planned. They are inciteful and there for in my view not non-violent.

If you believe that "land does not belong to us" stuff then I wonder what you think of the state of some areas travellers have left. - Do you think that what we do not own we can lay waste to.

I find your "rich yobs" analogy pointless and invalid. It is not and never will be that same problem.

I fail to see where tresspass has been graded with rape and murder. Thats an alarmist comment. I do worry about the applications of the criminalisation of tresspass. But I fail to see how unifying with the travelling community on this matter achieves anything.

I Dont think that anyone will take much notice of it either.

by Phuq Hedd Thu Apr 25, 2002 00:17

There's already a mechanism for dealing with trespass. What these laws do is make it CRIMINAL to trespass. Do you really want trespassing to carry the same legal burden as murder and rape?

Also, you seem to support these laws because you think that they're going to miraculously "clean up" the countryside! I don't think so. We're still going to have rich gombeen men throwing up pig-ugly houses across rights-of-way, throwing tonnes of rubbish into illegal dumps, throwing the exhaust from their Mercs into our face and throwing their weight around our "democracy".

You're asking us to give them another way to throw us into jail.

by Paul Kinsella - Globalise Resistance, Irish Anti War Movement, ATGWU (Strictly Personal capacity) and Various Others Wed Apr 24, 2002 22:14 paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 087-9748511

joey jo jo as Benji says "The trespass laws affect a lot of us." In addition to All of the Direct Actions that Benji has told us that will now be classed as criminal rather than civil offences under this extremely draconian trespass legislation as far as I can read it a Strike Picket outside a premises or indeed Any kind of a Picket, be it Anti rascist or Anti Bin Tax will now be classed as a criminal rather than as a civil offence under this extremely draconian trespass legislation. To end I'll paraphrase Benji as he says "Keep Ireland Open."
"No one BUILT the land, so no-one OWNS the land."

by Benji Wed Apr 24, 2002 21:23

Just think how many protests involve trespass!

Right-of-way disputes, sit-ins, and a host of other direct actions can be classed as criminal rather than civil offences.

Keep Ireland Open.
No one BUILT the land, so no-one OWNS the land.

Benji.

by joey jo jo Wed Apr 24, 2002 18:53

I dont see why people should protest against a law that helps them.

There is no reason to oppose this law. Our country side and environment is regularly damaged by traveller sites. When they go they more often than not leave an obscene mess behind them.

I will not generalise the Travelling community In the way that many others would but I do think that it is very easy to say "free tha travellers" when They are on someone elses door step.

If they do not have permission, NO ONE shoulk be allowed stop indefinatly on the land of others.

It has always seemed to me to be opressive, the way that many travellers choose to stop on the land of others, demanding payment, claiming a right to the land or just refusing to leave.

I am sympathetic to the fact that the travellers are a sub-culture whose role in society has long become obsolete, but that is no reason to inflict upon others.

In short, I would urge others to not join the protest.