money everywhere for anarchist projects but none for mayday arresstees

dublin | summit mobilisations | opinion/analysis

Wednesday February 23, 2005 11:59

by Gill X

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Anthony Horgan
Barry O'Donovan
Conor Lynch
Dan Glass
David Irwin
David Langley
David McNamara
David Storey
Feargal Maine
Fergus Robson
Harry Johnstone
James O'Hare
Killian Dowling
Lee Cummins
Mary Hennessy
Natalie Donoghue
Paul Slater
Robert McKevitt
Sean McKenna
Stephen McCann
Tom Barkley
Tony Power

* Money raised for these people by the anarchists in Dublin = €0.00
* MOney raised for an "autonomous centre" by the anarchists in Dublin = ~€1,200.00
* Money raised for G8 holiday to Scotland by the anarchists in DUblin = ~€750.00

Dont you recognize these names? Thats because its unlikely youve heard them before. There has been no organised campaign to help them or stop the repression againt them. ALthough yOu may have heard Killian Dowlings name because he posted up here a while ago about his court case after R brought up the issue. These are the people who were arrested on Mayday 2004 (plus 3 more) and have either been through the courts already on public order charges or are coming up soon, they are usually fined an average of 500 EUros each. 26 people with a fine of 500 euros each is 13,000 euros. Not a single benefit night has been held to help these people out.
People were holding Dublin GRassroots responsilbe for the lack of help but the "autonomous" anarchists are to blame as well. THey are just as big now as DGN. On Mayday, the DGN 'stepped back' from the police line and the other anarchists in the city lined up to try and break through the police line. From reading the papers you would think it was all wombles or foreign people but it was mostly people from DUblin, and the push was organised and pre-coordinated. It is the same people involved in thre squats in Parnell SQuare and Leeson Street, and also the Warehouse/Spacecraft off the North Strand ROad. THey are "anti-organizational" which means they dont like to align themselves to any group. They are well-educated and middle class, and are more concerned with surface/"lifestyle"/fashion politics like vegetarianism and squatting than genuine working class struggles. They run a mile from things like the Bin Tax campaigns, where working class people would piss themselves laughing at them with their trendy dyed haircuts and torn on purpose clothes. There level of organization goes no further than putting on pissups, vegetarian "potlucks" and film nights for them and their small group of friends, or making "fanzines" for each other that are read by the same 50 people.
Because they are anti-organizational they can get away with having any responsibility for the people arrested. It was their push throgh the GArda line that brought out the riot squad. THey can always claim "I didnt organize that" and even now they can say "this article is not about me, she is talking about someone else". THey are always happy to tag along when DGN call a protest and do the "fun" stuff like painiting banners in the Warehouse, setting up a squat or spraypaintiung around town, but then when it comes to doing hard work or support they instantly disappear. They claimed they put on prisoner supprt nights in Dalymount PArk but this money goes to a friend of theirs in London, it seems you have to be a part of their exclusive clique for any support.
PEople wonder why people dont get more invovled in "activism" or are left wing when it seemingly has all the answers. If stuff like MAyday is all about the day itself and not supporting arrested people afterwards then nobody new will ever get involved. BUt now it seems like the DGN and the autonomous anarchists (not that they ever did anythjing about it anyway) are going to forget about Mayday. Now you'll see the anarchists organizing for the G8 in SCotland and pouring loads of money into that, even though its 6 months away, while people here are still being dragged through the courts. The aanarchists always harp on about fighting oppression and "solidarity" but they cant even do it in their own back yard. Same with the new "autonomous centre", reportedly there have been meetings every week trying to make this and events with money going towards it in the future, but there have been no DGN or autonomous anarchist events for MAyday arresstees.
Maybe they'll respond to this as before "this issue is getting tired". ITs incredibly stupid of them to think that people dont notice this or if they ignore a problem for long enough then it will magically go away. THere is still nothing on the DGN web site for people who were arrested who want help. THe autonomous anarchists of course dont have a website or any way you can get in touch with them unless youre already "in the know" or part of their clique that reads their fanzines and dresses the same trendy way or youre a "vegan". No wonder there's no long lasting tradtion of left wing activism in this country when this is the best that the anarchists can do to support people arrested.