"Straight to the Dáil"
by Kay Keane
The housing demo on 5th December 2019 - organised by the Protest against Homelessness in Ireland, Less Talk More Action! Facebook group - had a feeling of determination, defiance, and that people have had enough. Eoghan Murphy had survived, supported by the “rogues gallery of TDs” that only a political class of entitlement would take a vote off.
On the streets chants, placards and banners were testament to a growing grassroots awareness. Calls from the crowd reflected the anger felt by those affected by the worst housing crisis in this state! One that stood out was “Straight to the Dáil”. While the protest was not huge in numbers it has to be looked on as a positive.
A sense of ‘we need to do something’, ‘we need to fight’ was evident. The water protests came to mind; community activists, housing groups out together united in a cause.
The complete failure of the Fine Gael housing plan is evident. The growing number of homelessness points to it. The reliance on private developers and landlords has driven rental costs sky high! Private developers gifted land by the state use it to generate profit; to commodify a home.
Striking images of children carrying placards, standing behind barriers, facing the Gardaí outside the Dáil, was both inspiring and sad to see.
The majority of those children went back to hubs or hotels or overcrowded family homes. Reports are pointing to the damage both mental and physical that is affecting these children. Yet the government and enablers choose to ignore them.
The 5th December had a feeling, that this is the beginning of a movement. The working class when united are a powerful weapon against capitalist ideals and policies. We have won the water charges and Repeal of the 8th despite opposition from some who would prefer us to stay in our box.
We cannot ignore the inequality in this state! Health, housing, childcare, in fact any service that is supposed to be public is being continuously privatised.
It’s time to build. Build a united movement of workers, parents, students and trade unions! All out for 11 January, the date for the next national demo. What have we got to lose?