Monday, February 25, 2013

CAHWT Occupies Northside Civic Centre

On Monday February 18th up to fifteen members of the Campaign Against the Household and Water Taxes [CAHWT], including a number of éirígí activists, occupied the Northside Civic Centre in Coolock to protest against the proposed introduction of home and water taxes.
The protest, organised by the local branch of the CAHWT, was timed to coincide with the monthly Dublin North Central Area Committee Meeting, which was taking place in the Civic Centre. The Area Committee Meeting is a monthly meeting attended by local Dublin City Councillors to deal with issues affecting the North Central area. The protestors made sure that the growing opposition to home and water taxes was top of the agenda on the day with loud chanting of ‘No way, we won’t pay!’, ‘Can’t pay, won’t pay!’ and ‘Fine Gael-Labour, Out ! Out! Out!’
CAHWT protest
The latest protest in Coolock follows a series of similar CAHWT protest occupations of council chambers and buildings in Cork, Dublin City, Fingal, Kilkenny and South Dublin. Such protests are an indication of the rising anger against attempts to introduce home and water taxes and the CAHWT’s determination to lead a militant mass campaign of civil disobedience to ensure the defeat of these austerity taxes.
Speaking from the protest, éirígí spokesperson and member of the CAHWT in Dublin North East, Ciaran Heaphey, said, “Today’s protest has been a great success. The Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes organised today’s occupation to send a clear message to the local representatives of Dublin City Council and to the Fine Gael/ Labour coalition. And that message is that we intend to fight their attempts to introduce unjust home and water taxes every inch of the way.
“Over the past twelve months the CAHWT has built a strong campaign in the Coolock and Santry area. This community has rallied together to organise opposition to the first the so-called household charge and now the home and water taxes. We have no intention of paying unjust home and water taxes or to pay for the greed of a golden circle of corrupt politicians, bankers, speculators and developers. éirígí in Dublin North East has been centrally involved in this work. We believe that the CAHWT is the vehicle that can successfully defeat austerity taxes.”
Ciaran continued, “I would encourage anyone from the local area who is opposed to the introduction of unjust home and water taxes to get in contact with the local CAHWT and get involved. I would also encourage all those opposed to austerity across this state to organise similar protests in your own community and to encourage your family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues to get involved in the fight against austerity.”

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Coolock Voices its Resistance to the Home Tax


21/02/13
CAHWT postcardOn Thursday, February 7, the Coolock/Santry branch of the Campaign Against the Household and Water Taxes [CAHWT] met in the Kilmore West community centre to discuss this year’s introduction of the so called ‘property tax’ – Fine Gael and Labour’s latest name for their home tax.
A crowd of over forty residents from the Coolock/Santry area gathered in the centre to discuss the drastic changes surrounding the re-launched home tax. These changes include a decision by the Twenty Six County government to use the Revenue Commissioner’s extensive powers by deducting the tax at source. The original ‘household charge’ was based on self-registration and voluntary payment.
This means that the home tax will now be deducted from wages, pensions and social welfare payments prior to payment of same. And the self-employed will have the property tax added to their tax liability each year. Those at the public meeting reacted to this news with shock and horror. Members of the local community vented their anger by calling for mass opposition to the new tax and pledging their support to help the local and national campaign with pickets, protests and door to door canvassing in the future.
2013 marks the centenary of the 1913 lock out and is an important year nationally for republicans, socialists and everyone who wants to strike back against the Fine Gael/ Labour coalition and their savage cut backs. It’s also an important year for the greater Coolock area, an area that has had to endure some of the worst of the economic downturn.
Local éirígí activist Martin Farrell co-chaired the meeting alongside a fellow activist from the local CAHWT. Martin told the crowd that he was inspired by the drive in the campaign from the local community and urged everyone at the meeting to come on board and join the CAHWT as the campaign goes into the second round against the Dublin government.
Martin also urged the locals at the meeting to engage with local politicians and let them know just how bad the suffering and the fear in many working class homes has become. He pointed out that four government ministers were invited to the public meeting but, in a repeat of their response to last year’s invitations to speak with constituents, they declined the opportunity to engage with the local people yet again.
One of the campaign’s latest tactics was unveiled at the meeting, which involves giving CAHWT postcards to the public and asking them to send them on to their elected representatives with a strong anti austerity message printed on the back.
Speaking after the meeting, éirígí Dublin North East chairperson Ciaran Heaphey said, “Tonight’s meeting is another example of the growing anger in this community. We had over forty members of the public here tonight to listen to the next steps for the campaign and to share their fear and anxieties, to ask any questions they may have and ultimately to get them involved in the campaign. The number of new faces who came along tonight is inspiring and shows this campaign is ready to fight the home and water taxes and resist all government threats.”

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

* Join eirigi Coolock activists this Saturday the 9th at Cook street, Dublin at 13.30.