Working Class Action
Press Release: Political Show Trails Slammed
September 24th 2003
Today’s court decision by Judge Donovan challenging the right of Gardai to arrest residents on the assumption that they are aware of injunctions related to blockading bin lorries was today welcomed by Working Class Action (WCA).
Spokesperson Cieran Perry said "This court success represents a setback to those politicians who believe it is acceptable to seize ordinary people off their estates and imprison them for opposing undemocratic and unjust laws. However it is a minor victory; as in the past the government will merely change the law to suit their own political interests."
The WCA group, which is involved in the Anti Bin Tax campaign in the City Council area, also slammed the ongoing court cases against community and political activists as "political show trials staged to intimidate anyone who dares to oppose government diktats".
Joe Mooney, a community activist and member of Working Class Action, said today:
"Today 13 working class residents from the Cabra and Finglas areas were before the High Court in an attempt to intimidate them into refraining from blockading bin trucks. This is a blatant political show trial aimed at breaking the opposition of our communities to the Bin Tax and scaring off potential supporters by portraying ordinary people as extremists."
Mr Mooney continued,
"The courts and the politicians are instructing us to ‘play by the rules’. But for the past two years the establishment parties have used political sharp practise to introduce and increase the Bin Tax on Dublin City Council. In working class communities throughout the city up to 70% of people have peacefully refused to submit to this double taxation, simply by not paying. The Anti-Bin Tax campaign also beat Fingal Co. Council in the courts, legally forcing the authority to collect untagged bins. The government then introduced the so-called "Protection of the Environment Bill" to overturn the court decision and provide legal cover for their assault on non-paying residents. This process is now playing itself out in the courts. And they have the cheek to attack our campaign as ‘undemocratic’!"
He concluded,
"Today alone up to two dozen activists are before different courts as the legal system and its political masters strive to put ordinary people - residents, parents, community activists - behind bars merely for demanding that the bin trucks collect ALL the refuse bins in our estates."
[ENDS]
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