Madam, – The recent protest outside the gates of Leinster House remind me of the rallies of unemployed people in Dublin during the 1950s.
At one such rally a speaker made the following statement: “We think the English are fools. Let me tell you, they are not fools. In 1916 they shot all the good men and left the fools to rule us.” It would appear that very little has changed. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Stephen Kearon (Letters 14th May) accuses Richard Boyd Barrett of “economic illiteracy” and of damaging our ability to borrow the €400 million a week to pay for the social services and the welfare for many of the people he claims he represents”. It is then suggested that the protesters seek a mandate from the people, instead of conducting “cowardly attacks on our hard-won democracy”.
Leaving aside his contempt for dissent, were we afforded an opportunity to vote on Nama, the bank bailouts and Brian Cowen’s negligence, there would be no protest. The current Government’s mandate expired with the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank. The protests are a demand for democracy, not mere mindless violence. – Yours, etc,