by Alan Jacques
SINN Féin have refuted claims that they boycotted last weekend’s water protest in Limerick.
Hundreds of people took part in the major rally against water charges at City Hall on Saturday afternoon. Organised by the Anti Austerity Alliance’s ‘We Won’t Pay’ campaign, the event was addressed by Socialist TD Paul Murphy.
This week, Sinn Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan deemed claims that his party boycotted the rally as “nonsense”.
“Both myself and Cllr Malchy McCreesh were present at the rally,” he told the Limerick Post
Sinn Féin representative for City East, Cmhlr Séighin Ó Ceallaigh, missed Saturday’s rally due to a family bereavement.
“There was other Limerick City Sinn Féin members present who marched as well. There was also a large number of Sinn Féin supporters at Saturday’s rally. In fact I was overwhelmed with the number of people at the rally who told me they would be supporting me and other Sinn Féin candidates at the forthcoming General election,” Cllr Quinlivan told the Limerick Post.
“Whilst the AAA and Sinn Féin agree on a lot of issues we are not part of the local ‘We Won’t Pay Campaign’ but as people are well aware we are a core part of the National Right2Water campaign,” he explained.
The City North representative insisted that Sinn Féin support people who are genuinely opposed to Water charges and austerity.
“There was a diverse range of political views on that rally on Saturday. The campaign against water charges has massive potential as it could act as a catalyst for greater change, for a Unified Left to challenge the Conservative forces that have dominated our city and this State since Partition,” he concluded.
