Protests against water bills

Tens of thousands attend Dublin rally

"Stephen Fitzpatrick of the Communications Workers Union called for the ownership of water to be protected in the Constitution. He called for a referendum to add the following words to the Constitution: "The Government shall collectively be responsible for the protection, management and maintenance of the public water system."

"`The Government shall ensure in the public interest that this resource remains in public ownership and management. That’s all we want, we already own it, protect it,`  Mr Fitzpatrick added to applause. "


"General secretary of Mandate Trade Union John Douglas said there had been a `massive turnout again despite naysayers saying it would be a dismal turnout. It is a big demonstration despite all the so-called concessions the Government have given which was an attempt to buy the public. They obviously haven’t succeeded in buying the public.`"

"Will the Government change?  No...and they will ultimately pay the price in the ballot box."...

"Speaking from stage Mary Curtis, who described herself as `a mother and grandmother`, from Dundalk Says No, said water charges came on top of continuous cuts, which would no longer be tolerated."

"`We have a new ‘workhouse’ in this country,` she said. `It’s called ‘emergency housing’. They put our people into one room in hotels and they say, ‘We’ve given you a roof over your head’. But they have stolen the roof from over their head....The homeless are dying on the streets of this city...Austerity is directly linked to suicide.`"

"Memet Uludag of People Before profit and the Irish Anti-Racism Network, spoke in the context of UN World Anti-Racism day."

"`We say today water is a human right. Black and white, we will unite and we will fight. From Bolivia, to Detroit, to Greece, people have been fighting against cuts, against austerity`".

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/water-charge-protest-tens-of-thousands-attend-dublin-rally-1.2148568