guardian.co.uk,
Henry McDonald in Dublin, Wednesday 12 October 2011
 |
| Protesters outside Ireland's central bank in Dublin city centre are inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA |
They may be
filled with rage against the capitalist machine, but the demonstrators outside
Ireland's central bank are a polite bunch of radicals.
The
protesters are under strict instruction not to harass or even say a cross word
to the bank officials filing past their camp each morning.
Inspired by
the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in the US in the past month, the Occupy
Dame Street protesters have been camped out in front of Ireland's central bank
since Saturday.
But the
activists stress that their protest is entirely peaceful.
They have
appointed Sean Creagh, a business studies student from Deansgrange in the south
of county Dublin, as their liaison with the Garda Síochána, the Irish police
force.
Dressed in
a high visibility yellow jacket, Creagh explains that the plan is to help the
garda keep the peace at the camp.
The
organisers have banned alcohol and drugs from it and will help the police to
extract anyone breaking that rule.
"I
have been talking to one of the local garda inspectors in the city who is in
charge of policing the protests," Creagh said. "To be fair, the garda
have been good because we have kept a clear dialogue with them.
"The
idea is we want a peaceful protest and we don't want to cause any direct
trouble.
"We
have a policy of not hassling anyone going into work and have kept the walkway
into the central bank open all the time."
Creagh
explained why the movement has not targeted the headquarters of one of the main
Irish banks which helped cause the country's fiscal crisis through reckless
lending to property speculators.
He said:
"You have got to remember that inside that [central bank] building there
is a full-time official from the IMF who, unelected by anyone in Ireland, is
actually running our country's economic policy.
"That
person is in there carrying out the IMF's diktats to the Irish people. This is
why we are here. It's the symbolism of that."
There are
20 two-person tents at the camp and about 60 protesters. There is also a
covered area which houses a makeshift kitchen and food station.
David Johnson
is a 38-year-old IT consultant who specialises in helping fledgling technology
and computer startups.
He worked
for a US multinational until recently being made redundant.
Johnson now
spends up to 16 hours a day at the camp.
"I
would not be your traditional student militant or even overtly political – I am
in fact a business owner," he said.
"But I
am here because I am disgusted at the way this country has been run for the
benefit of the very, very rich.
"Like
everyone else around, I was inspired by the Wall Street occupation movement.
"Yes
we are angry. Yes we want radical change – but it is all very polite
really."
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