Over 30 years of anarchist writing from Ireland listed under hundreds of topics
JobBridge goal is to drive down wages
Date: Fri, 2011-11-04 13:16
Over the past five months, the Labour/Fine Gael coalition has rolled out its JobBridge internship scheme. This scheme sees thousands of unemployed people taking 6-9 month “work experience placements” in various jobs in exchange for €50 per week in addition to their social welfare payment.
New Government plans more cuts in 2012 Budget
Date: Fri, 2011-11-04 12:26
Another budget looms. The Irish public again find themselves with their head under a guillotine looking up at this budget wondering about the weight behind the blade. We are subjected to daily media leaks of what they are going to do to us in this: Less dole, more job losses for those who have them, stopping medical cards for a few months, all the wild and fearful possibilities of a worse life for many people are being floated. What is different this time when you compare it to the previous three or is it four austerity budgets? We’ve been in crisis for some time now but this time the government is different.
Debate on the Occupy Oakland General Strike
Date: Thu, 2011-11-03 16:56
Yesterday in Oakland, California the Occupy X Movement took a major step when Occupy Oakland called a general strike which shut down the port of Oakland (5th busiest in the US ). The call for the General Strike emerged from the Oakland General Assembly in the aftermath of the police shooting of Scott Olsen on 25th October. The strike could not (for legal reasons) have the formal support of the Oakland unions but we understand that in particular the radical ILWU which organizes the docks had given a 'nod and a wink' that if a large protest was at the port gates work would be halted for 'health & safety' reasons as had happened during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Shell to Sea National Day of Solidarity in Mayo November 11th
Date: Thu, 2011-11-03 15:59
Shell to Sea will have a National Day of Solidarity in Mayo on November 11th, both to remember the death of Ken Saro Wiwa and for people from around Ireland to stand in solidarity with the local community in Erris, Mayo.
Neoliberalism & the restructuring of Education
Date: Thu, 2011-11-03 12:30
In mid-August, Labour Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn announced both further increases to the “registration fee”, which currently stands at €2000, and the return of tuition fees, which will be payable at point-of-entry, for third level education. Coupled with the massive cuts already to the grants system, this will make it prohibitively expensive for many students to enter and complete third level education, and impose a substantial financial burden on those that do. The implications of this will be further falls in the standard of living of ordinary families and increased indebtedness for young people as they begin their adult lives. For many prospective mature students, their hopes of getting back to education will be ruined.
Reports from the first anti-Household tax campaign meetings in Dublin, Cork & Galway
Date: Thu, 2011-11-03 12:27
Reports from the first anti-Household tax meetings in Cork, Dublin & Galway.
Review: A Wee Black Booke of Belfast Anarchism
Date: Wed, 2011-11-02 16:01
Irish anarchism is a relatively new movement. We do not yet enjoy the popular understanding of anarchist ideas that can be found among thousands of militants and the wider working class in countries like Spain and Italy and across Latin America. However, this is slowly changing, partly as we begin to uncover forgotten events. This pamphlet provides a small glimpse of the history of Belfast anarchism, an idea that continues to grow, spreading the message of radical working class direct action on the streets of Belfast.
WSM activity in the late Summer of 2011
Date: Wed, 2011-11-02 15:55
Despite the distraction of the presidential election charade, the past couple of months have been busy ones for WSM members as government spending cuts continue to bite.
London Burns - PDF pamphlet on the August 2011 UK Riots
Date: Wed, 2011-11-02 15:06
We are making the text of our popular analysis 'London burns - causes & consequences of the riots - an anarchist perspective' available online as a PDF file. A limited number were produced for the WSM stall at the London anarchist bookfair but rapidly sold out. By making the PDF available we are inviting you to print out and distribute copies where you are.
The pamphlet is 28 pages in length and can be printed on the popular A4 (Europe) or US Letter (North America paper sizes). The text has already been translated into French, if you are aware of additional translations use the contact form above to let us know about them.
Poppy day, militarism, imperialism and the promotion of intolerance
Date: Wed, 2011-11-02 12:33
The poppy is used as a fundraising appeal by the British Royal Legion and can be traced back to American ex-service men returning home from world war one. It was particularly associated with a poem written by a Canadian doctor, John McCrae (he died of pneumonia in January 1918). His poem begins:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below....