What we saw & heard

Political vendetta against water charges activists… ‘We will not be moved’

Paul Murphy TD was arrested at dawn on 9 February

Paul Murphy TD was arrested at dawn on 9 February   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Paul Murphy, the socialist TD (MP) for Dublin South West, was subjected to a dawn arrest by Gardai (police) last Monday, 9 February. It was a blatant political vendetta by the Fine Gael/Labour government against anti-austerity activists.

This terror tactic against Paul was also meted out to fellow Anti Austerity Alliance councillors and Socialist Party members Kieran Mahon and Mick Murphy and to local anti-austerity campaigner Scott Masterson.

The raids and arrests follow the peaceful sit-down protest in Tallaght, south west Dublin, last November, against the government’s hated and iniquitous water charges, which has led to a mass non-payment, civil disobedience campaign.

As a result of the street sit-down Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) Joan Burton, who was at a local community centre in Jobstown, was delayed leaving (the protest can been viewed on youtube). Incredibly the authorities are considering prosecuting Paul and his comrades for ‘aggravated kidnapping’!

Speaking on RTE radio a defiant Paul said: “Let them charge us, let them have a jury of our peers because we would be found not guilty, unquestionably.”

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins decscribed the arrests as “political policing”. Fellow Socialist party TD Ruth Coppinger said: “This will not deter the people of Tallaght, Dublin South West or around the country from continuing to protest but in particular to make sure that the bills coming out in April will be met with mass non-payment. The water charges will be defeated.”

All four have now been released. Police have sent a file to the DPP.

Stop press: On 10 February police arrested another four anti-water charge protesters from Tallaght, including a 16 year old.