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Labour’s Clonmel Shame

28/05/12

Yesterday [Sunday, May 27] the 26-County Labour Party celebrated 100 years since its foundation with the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to the memories of James Connolly and Jim Larkin. The memorial event, which was publicly advertised to take place at midday, actually took place at 6am with just two local Labour Party councillors in attendance.

While the organisers claimed that the unveiling had been brought forward to avoid an unspecified, spurious ‘security threat’, the real reason for the break-of-dawn commemoration was the calling of protests by éirígí and a number of other organisations.

Despite the Labour Party’s sleight of hand over 200 people still gathered outside Clonmel Town Hall to take part in a colourful and noisy protest against Labour’s role in government. Those taking part included éirígí, the United Left Alliance and the Save Our Schools campaign. As is becoming increasingly common with such anti-austerity protests a large number of Gardaí, including the Armed Support Unit and Special Branch, videoed and photographed those taking part in the protest.

Speaking at the protest éirígí Tipperary’s spokesperson Mike Edwards said, “This was a very successful protest which showed how the Labour Party is running scared from the ordinary people. The Labour party are clearly afraid to be challenged on their role in government by those whose lives they are effecting. Their cowardice will not go unnoticed by the people of Tipperary and indeed of the Twenty-Six Counties. This event was supposed to be a major celebration for the Labour Party but it has turned into a high farce.

“The large size of today’s protest is yet another indication of the growing momentum of the fight-back against the austerity-based policies of this government. We in éirígí in Tipperary and across Munster are committed to building that fight back, to the point that it cannot be ignored or pacified by the false promises of Labour or any other establishment party.”

Following the main protest éirígí Tipperary members help an impromptu picket at the office of Phil Prendergast, Labour’s MEP for Ireland South.