Occupy Dame Street protesters in Dublin have vowed that they will continue their action until Ireland’s budget this December.
In total 1,000 people marched in the streets of Dublin this weekend. The “99%” were marching against “corporate greed”.
The group of 1,000 met at Parnell Square and marched toward the Department of Finance, via Kildare Street. However, 600 members of the group diverted and ended their march outside the Central Bank, where the Occupy Dame Street group has set up camp. The group said their group would not finish the march with the group due to their participation trade unions and political parties.
The smaller group included the parents of children with special needs, pensioners from Tara Mines, community group representatives, members of trade unions Mandate, Siptu and Unite, as well as members of People Before Profit – United Left Alliance and the Enough! campaign.
Their banners had messages such as “Bail out hospitals, not the bankers”, “No 10 per cent cut to our pensions”, and “Some cuts never heal, hands off our children with special needs”.
Drummers leading the procession chanted “Cuts, job losses, money for the bosses” and “IMF get them out, we know what they’re all about”.
Members of the IMF-ECB-EU troika, from inside the Merrion Hotel told the protesters they were staying in Ireland.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD led the crowd in chants “IMF, shame on you” and “Our State assets, get your dirty hands off. Our hospitals, get your dirty hands off. Our jobs, get your dirty hands off. Our children, get your dirty hands off.”
He added that there were further plans for protests in advance of this December’s budget.
Barrett said “We have to be more determined to build a movement against the cuts than they are to impose them.”
The Occupy Dame Street protest is now in its 12th day. An Occupy Cork protest also took place over the weekend.
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