School student walk outs - IRish times
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Wednesday March 05, 2003 15:15
by Day X
School student walk outs - north & south!!!!!
Pupils stage protests against planned war in Iraq
By David Roe Last updated: 05-03-03, 13:10
Thousand of second level students, both north and south of the border are taking part in a Europe-wide day of action against the looming war in Iraq.
Protests will take place in many schools across the country which will take the form of lunch-time protests, public debate and, in some cases, school walk-outs.
"We are organising this action to show solidarity with young people around the world who will protest against this bloody war and to show solidarity with the 48 per cent of the Iraqi population under the age of 16 - who will bear the brunt of a new war for oil," Mr Matt Waine, spokesman for the organisation Youth Against War.
" . . .All this is jut the start. We are preparing for significant stoppages in as many schools as possible on 'Day X', the day the war begins."
Today's action part of a European day of action that will see students in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Britain and the US organising protests to promote an anti-war message amongst young people.
"Today's action will send a message to the government that young people are not cynical and our voice will no be ignored," Mr Aaron Cole, a student from Plunkett College Dublin, said.
Comments (13 of 13)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13ASTI members will take action against the students. What do YAW and SY have to say about it?
A good day for the movement. Well done to all involved. Today showed that school students are willing to protest against this unjust war for oil. On the first day of war YAW will organise a mass walkout or other form of protest of school students.
YAW now is effectively the most organised group of young people within the Irish Anti war movement, having established bases around the country (south of the border at least)
The walkouts organised by Youth Against War have been much bigger in the North, with thousands out in Newry and Omagh.
This is a brilliant step - now it's time to build for strikes on Day X.
Takes the biscui even by SP standaeds. Threy know SSAW were responsible for most of this.
It was reported in the main press up there that many of the SSAW members were threatened with expulsion over this strike action and were actively supporting and involved in it so it seems strange that they had nothing to do with this in Northern Ireland, I suppose as had the SWP nothing at all to do with the Belfast 15th rally. Anyway well done to 'ALL' involved
Look guys these silly fights about who 'owns' the anti-war movements are pointless - in fact worse they are damaging. Huge number have marched for whom the various party initals mean nothing, trying to insist they 'belong' to one organisation or another is simply going to make them feel manipulated (and not march the next time). If anything those conducting the walkouts need to make sure they have control of their own organisations rather then hand it either to anyone else!
The walk outs are great. [full stop]
It seems the Belfast rally was lead mainly by the ssaw from methody, grovenor high, st louises st genivies and other schools while the newry one was mainly lead by the yaw but does it really matter
None of the reports from Youth Against the War claim that they were the only people building the Belfast walkouts and I would be surprised if Schools Students Against War weren't involved in building for walkouts in the one place they actually exist.
The strikes around the rest of the coutry were only really built by YAW for the simple reason that there is no SSAW to be involved. That goes for Omagh, Newry, Dublin and all the rest.
The point made above is important though: why squabble over this? This is a great step forward.
Just seen the Swords protest on the RTE news. Looked like a couple of hundred. RTE said two schools in Swords and other schools across the country including Cork and various places in the North.
Also coverage on BBC news of walkouts in England. Good stuff.
The truth is most of the organising of this was done neither by SAW or YAW. It was done by pissed of school students who took their own initiative and used the resources of both groups. For this both groups should be congratulated, but more so those unconnected individuals. Today there will have been rallies that we haven’t heard of and may never hear of.
I have been receiving reports from around the north, in one school a SAW activists organised a teach-in of 150 and at another school a rally of 250 was held, I have also heard unconfirmed reports that schools in west Belfast marched down to city hall for a rally. I’ve also heard that some schools were blocked, i.e. that of Abbey (I think that’s what it is called) down in Newry and also of teachers locking students in school in one or two schools in Belfast.
The SAW is now organising for a massive walkout across the north on Day X. As before school students are more than welcome to download any resources and print them of to use in their schools.
We are also saying to schools to get in touch with us and help us help them. If you know any school students in the north or the south or anywhere tell them about our web page and say its open to all, mainly because it is.
Dan Buckley
www.geocities.com/schools_against_war/
USA doesn´t belong to Bush
Peace doesn´t belong to me
WAR belongs to someone else.
Campaigns which find european efficacy and common days of action can not be ascribed to one group or platform. Especially not in Ireland either north or south.
Sourcing the slogans/dates/poster designs is the work of the Security forces.
If you would like a career in sourcing slogans/dates of protests/posters and stuff then send your CV with a photograph to the
Central Intelligence Agency
Virginia Langley
VA89000 USA
make sure to mark your envelope "job seeker".
=WELL DONE ·EVERYONE· WHO TOOK PART IN GLOBAL STUDENT STRIKE AGAINST WAR!
A brilliant initiative, but on "day X" the day the war starts, a national/European walk out day will be too late.
What's needed is one now, or at least within the next 2/3 weeks.
Anyone know if there is any chance of this happening?
DAY X.
School students against the war with teachers and education workers and lectures are organising and co-ordinating to walk out from the Education sector. They will do so though with other workplaces and local anti war groups along with various other political parties, campaign groups, womens groups, minority groups solidarity campaigns and others around the north many for mass non voilent direct action.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.