Gardaí keep angry crowd from storming Galway City Council meeting

Date Published: 09-Jan-2012

By Dara Bradley

‘Can’t pay, won’t pay’ was the cry of the crowd numbering about 80 protestors who stormed City Hall last evening to register their disgust at the new €100 household charge.

The protest started noisily but was nonviolent at first until shortly after the City Council meeting got underway – then scores of angry demonstrators attempted to barge and force their way into the chamber. Galway Gardaí successfully kept the crowd at bay. The protestors had pried open the main large doors of the chamber, which double as walls, and attempted to pour forward into the room but Gardaí repelled the surge and also ejected members of the public from the chamber.

Earlier the protestors, including some toddlers and pensioners, vowed not to register or pay the new tax on property.

Speaker after speaker urged the city’s residents not to cooperate or register their properties with the local authority; and also urged homeowners not to pay-up despite the threat of a fixed fine penalty for late fees.

The protest was organised by the Galway United Left Alliance, who described the charge, which came into effect January 1, as “unfair, unaffordable and unworkable”.

The protest was noisy and boisterous and disrupted the start of the City Council ordinary meeting.

A limited number of protestors were admitted into the chamber, the remaining larger group of about 70 in the hall outside the chamber continuously roared ‘can’t pay, won’t pay’ as the delayed meeting got underway.

Then scores of the protestors in the hallway attempted to barge their way into the chamber. Gardaí successfully kept them out, however, and ejected the others who had been allowed in.

When the meeting resumed, former Mayor Mike Crowe (FF) said the protestors were the “lowest form of humanity” and said their behaviour was “despicable”.

It is understood there were no arrests, and the protestors dispersed at about 4.30pm.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel