“Proud, Unrepentant, Defiant And More Determined”: Joe and Clare after their release from Mountjoy prison

“Proud, Unrepentant, Defiant And More Determined”

Joe and Clare after their release from Mountjoy prison

Socialist Party TD (MP) Joe Higgins and Socialist Party councillor Clare Daly were released from Dublin’s Mountjoy jail last Saturday after serving a one-month jail sentence for defying a high court injunction. A further 13 protesters have been given two and one week prison sentences.

Joe and Clare immediately announced that they intend to continue the anti-bin tax fight. This pledge got massive media coverage.

Joe declared that he would be back in the Dail (Parliament) the next day demanding to know “why honourable men and women, compliant taxpayers, are peremptorily thrown in jail for actively using the only weapon they possess against taxation injustice – peaceful people power”.

Over 400 activists and Socialist Party members crammed into the Gresham Hotel last Saturday night (18 October) to salute their brilliant stand in defence of working class people.

Joe and Clare outlined what was next in the bin tax battle but also put these developments into a broader context. They also encouraged people to join the Socialist Party because it had demonstrated in practice that it had the ideas and methods to take on the capitalist establishment. The audience’s enthusiasm realised €1,500 for the party’s funds.