The curious case of politics in the street

There is some concern, much of it justified, around #OccupyDameStreet about suggestions it is ‘non-political’ or somehow above or ‘before’ politics.

But an antipathy towards politics, and the term politics – even if such antipathy is amorphous – will seriously hamper any attempts to grow this into a movement for changing how we organise and structure both our society and the economy.

Leaving party politics at the door of occupied Dame Street

A grumpy post, those of a nervous disposition or particularly sensitive to scenes of internal bickering, politicking or general moaniness should skip this one.

A slow and tough morning for Unkie Dave on Occupied Dame Street. Someone posted a comment yesterday that I make everything here sound so positive, and I think there may well be some spectacles of a rosy hue obscuring my sight at times. Everything has been such an adrenaline rush, and the feelings of positivity that action brings may well be the shot of caffeine my system craves but is no longer allowed to have.

#OccupyDameStreet - The divil and day four

 

Newstalk interview being Livestreamed by #OccupyDameStreet
#OccupyDameStreet, Dublin, Tuesday 11th October

Day Four of #OccupyDameStreet saw a very tired Unkie Dave attend his first Media Workgroup meeting. While it cannot be denied that I have loved every backbreaking minute of work on the Construction group, given that I write a blog and post pretty pictures online I thought I should take a break from the world of tarp and cable ties and sit in to see how the group worked.

'Support the 99%!' Protesters occupy Dublin's Dame Street

David Johnson has spent much of the past three days outside the Central Bank on Dublin's Dame Street taking part in the Occupy Dame Street 

protest that started there on Saturday (8 October). Read his diary and view his pictures of the protest below. Please note his caveat: "It's important to say that I'm just a guy spending a lot of time at that camp, I'm not overnighting here and while I am involved in day-to-day tasks I'm not facilitating any meetings or speaking/writing on behalf of anyone."

Day one

Jazz hands: Nice

Evenings on Occupied Dame Street are a strange affair, the calm of the afternoon gives way to the frantic energy of the second General Assembly of the day, currently held at 6pm, and the influx of interested people on their way home from work, college, school and the like.

Better State always; less State never

What shape should concerted left political action in Ireland take? Conor McCabe’s excellent book Sins of The Father presents a very strong thesis about how the history of the Irish Republic should not be thought in terms of a narrative of neoliberalism that might apply in other western democratic states, due to the very specific character of the Irish State and the way its economy was developed in the interests of ruling elites since the State’s foundation.

An historic day for children in Ireland

Access to information is essential if child abuse is to be prevented, writes Evin Daly.

30 September, 2011, was a quietly momentous day for the children of Ireland. Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn announced the publication of a directive that updates and mandates the provision of child abuse prevention information to children, parents and teachers in schools.

Mind the trolls under the JobBridge

Here’s an opening question. What do ‘JobBridge’ – the snappy name for FÁS’s National Internship Scheme, presumably because they ran out of inverted commas to put around the word ‘Internship’ – and the Conservative Party’s attitude to the BBC have in common?

Pages