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.”

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