by Alan Jacques
LIMERICK was transformed into a fortress for the non-payment of water charges last weekend as protesters across the city and county came out in force for the cause.
The day of action, organised last Saturday as part of the Anti Austerity Alliance’s ‘We Won’t Pay’ campaign, saw protests take place in 12 localities, including Dooradoyle, Ballinacurra Weston, Corbally, Abbeyfeale, Croom and Newcastle West.
Protesters made their strongest statement of intent when a 13-foot banner was unfurled from the besieged walls of King John’s Castle.
City North AAA councillor Cian Prendiville explained that the ‘we won’t pay’ banner was a direct message to the Government.
“Limerick is going to be a fortress of non-payment. It is clear that the government are going to go ahead and send out these bills in April, but it is also clear mass non-payment can sink the charges,” Cllr Prendiville declared.
“They have no weapons in their arsenal capable of breaking non-payment. They can’t take the charges from our wages, nor can they turn down the water pressure of non-payers. There are no penalties for non-payment until July 2016 — well after the next general election,” he claimed.
According to Cllr Prendiville, people can boycott these charges up until the general election, safe in the knowledge they will not face any penalties. He insists that with mass non-payment the campaign can lay siege to the government, make this the key issue in the upcoming general election and force this or the next government to abolish the charge.
“The government may talk big, and try to scare people, but it is a real case of ‘the emperor has no clothes’, and no way to actually break through the walls of non-payment,” he said.
The events held in Limerick and across the country last weekend show that many remain totally opposed to the introduction of water charges. Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan praised the thousands who have “consistently taken part in peaceful, good natured protests against the water charges across the State”.
“The Government was forced to change its stance by the will of the people asserted in mass, peaceful protest. The campaign will continue,” he insisted.
“Ultimately the only way that water charges will be scrapped will be by a decision in government. Sinn Féin is pledged to do that. We stopped the imposition of water charges in the North and in government we will scrap them here. We believe that water is a human right. It has to be paid for but not as a double tax on hard pressed citizens,” he said.
The City North representative went on to state that this “regressive tax”, coupled with the others already imposed by Fine Gael and Labour, is crippling households and families. The reality for many struggling families, he claims, is one of crushing austerity taxes, a health service in disarray, and the forced emigration of their children.
“Saturday’s demonstrations across the country are an expression not just of opposition to water charges but to the government’s austerity policies as well,” Cllr Quinlivan concluded.
