A chara, – Tuesday saw the first convictions (Home News, January 20th) connected to the collapse of the public banking sector and the 26-county government’s criminal bailout of them.
However, those convicted were not the bankers, developers or politicians whose greed and corruption brought about that collapse and bankrupted the public finances. Instead it was two Éirígí activists engaged in an entirely peaceful protest at Anglo Irish Bank on May 15th last year, who had gone to the aid of four of their colleagues who had been arrested.
The 26-county State’s treatment of these activists, and five of their colleagues whose trials relating to the same protest were adjourned until a later date, stands in stark contrast to its treatment of the politicians and business people, the golden circle, who created this financial crisis.
Peaceful protesters are being dragged before the courts and working-class families are suffering increasing hardship and poverty as a result of the savage cutbacks imposed in order to bail out the banks. Yet those responsible for these vast social and economic crimes continue to live wealthy and extravagant lifestyles, free from the fear of arrest and imprisonment.
Tuesday’s trial was a blatant attempt by the State to intimidate and criminalise those engaged in peaceful protest. We will not be intimidated by such bullyboy tactics and Éirígí remains committed to resisting the cutbacks and bailouts implemented by the government in Leinster House on behalf of their masters in the IMF. – Is mise,