Thank you

After a tremendous demonstration against cuts last Saturday, 14 May, in Barcelona, with 250,000 participants, this week saw the development of the “May 15 movement”. Unemployed and students took to the streets. Inspired by the demonstrations in Portugal and the revolutions in the Maghreb and Middle East, especially Egypt, young people occupied Puerta del Sol, one of the main squares of Madrid. Police repeatedly tried to break up the protest but the youth defended their “Tahir Square”.

Turmoil over the issue of the flying of the union flag has now continued across Northern Ireland for six weeks. The protests, blocking of roads and frequent rioting began on 3 December when Belfast City Council voted to fly the flag over City Hall on seventeen “designated days” only rather than 365 days a year. Since then there have been protests almost every day-including a small protest on Christmas Day itself.

On Friday 31 August Clare Daly TD handed in a letter of resignation to the Socialist Party. We feel obliged to give notice of this development and to offer some initial comments.

A group of protestors staged a symbolic protest in Limerick this morning, occupying King John's Castle and dropping ag giant banner saying "Limerick Says No to IMF Dictatorship" in response to the ongoing IMF visit to Ireland and last nights downgrading of Irish bonds to Junk status. They are calling on people to come out on Saturday and join  a larger public rally outside Penney's at 2pm which has been organsied by various groups and individuals. Today's protest was organised by Socialist Youth to  "send a clear message to our new Kings in the IMF and international banks: the people of Limerick will not stand for this new rule. People can't take the cuts in SNAs, health, education and welfare that they are demanding."