We haven't gone away, ya know

Seomra Spraoi opens new autonomous social centre.
Seomra Spraoi is back. After 10 long Seomra-less months a new home has been found, and work is underway to transform the space into a fully functioning social centre. A lot has changed since being forced from our last space. We've been pretty busy too.

Since moving out of our last address (at Mary's Abbey), we've been kept busy organising Ireland's first social centre gathering, hosted a large talk at the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair, and ran lots of fundraising gigs/quizzes. We've provided catering, kids' activities & entertainment at the Grassroots Gathering, organised a beach party, several people's kitchens & kids days. We've also restructured our working groups & learnt a lot about fire safety.

Related Links: Seomra Spraoi | Social Centre Stories | Seomra Spraoi on Indy.ie

War of Wealth (CC image from Flickr)

Kieran Allen has just written an extensive article on the current global financial crisis. Here is his opening sentences on it.

Most people are amazed to witness a new Wall St crash, when the spectacle of the 1929 crash was supposed to have vanished forever.

For the past thirty years mainstream economists claimed that the market worked perfectly provided there was no state interference or strong trade unions. ‘You cannot buck the market’ was repeated like a mantra against anyone who dared to ask for higher wages, better environmental controls or a more developed welfare state. ‘Market forces’ were seen as wise spirits who knew best about how to run an economy. No one knew who or what they were but they appeared to work anonymously behind the scenes to make everything right. In almost every country, people were told to leave matters to these ‘market forces’ and not to seek too much regulation. In reality, these ‘market forces’ were gigantic financial houses which could move money around the globe at will.

Today this mythology has been shattered.

Related Links: Why No Alternative to the $700bn? | Emergency Legislation Introduced to Underwrite Irish Banks | Low yields turn off Irish Property Investors

Hunger Strike Explanation

An update on the situation as of this morning in occupied Erris

After a truly momentous day in Erris yesterday,things are much calmer this morning. The Solitaire has been confirmed to be stationery in Killybegs Co Donegal.

Police presence in the area is still very heavy this morning although the general atmosphere (aside from at the compound gates) is slightly less tense. Maura Harrington continues her courageous hunger strike at the compound gates with round the clock solidarity from both locals and the camp.

Workers from the IMPACT union marched from Cork University Hospital to the HQ of the HSE on Model Farm Road today at 1 pm to protest against the ongoing recruitment embargo being orchestrated by the HSE.

The protest, part of national action, was joined by nurses from CUH, by IMPACT members from the Mercy Hospital and by workers from City Hall. Placards called for an "End To The Jobs Embargo" and "No To Cuts". About 300 workers in all took part.

Related Links: IMPACT health workers warned of further serious cuts in health | New A&E unit yet to ../see a patient | Public grounds; private hospital

Protest to save St. Lukes hospital,
a leading cancer care hospital in Dublin

The government is pursuing a policy of centralising health services into a small number of regional centres. The policy has been advanced under the title of "Centres of Excellence". But there is no evidence for the 'robotic centralisation' of acute hospital services, including cancer. But if you want to cut the the public health system––to make room for private ‘providers’––‘centralisation’ is a lethally effective way of doing it. And funneling all patients into a small number of large units facilitates the collection of specimens ...

Related Links: Previous indy.ie coverage