For what died the sons of Róisín? Smash the NAMA Republic

Protest 12pm, Saturday 24th, Anglo Irish Headquarters, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

At midday on Easter Monday April 24th 1916 Pádraig Pearse stepped out of the GPO and read aloud the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. The Proclamation declared ‘the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland’ and guaranteed that the new republic would cherish ‘all of the children of the nation equally’.

Ninety-four years later the dream of those who signed the 1916 Proclamation lies in tatters. The Six Counties remain under British occupation while the Twenty-Six Counties has been turned into a NAMA republic which has enslaved generations to come with massive debts.

Nobody, including the Dublin government, know how much NAMA and the bank bale out scheme will ultimately cost, but is may well exceed a staggering one hundred billion euro [£88 billion]. That is €100,000,000,000 that should have been spent on hospitals, schools, homes and employment which will instead go to private banks in Ireland, Europe and beyond.

In advance of the ninety-fourth anniversary of the 1916 Rising on April 24th, éirígí have produced a ‘Proclamation of the NAMA Republic’ to highlight the contrast between the Ireland of 2010 and the Ireland envisioned by the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation.

Within this satirical document the names of the 1916 signatories have been replaced by Brian Cowen, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Gormley and the other architects of the current economic depression. And the aspirations of freedom, equality and justice contained within the 1916 Proclamation have been supplanted by the slavery, inequality and injustice espoused by the political establishment. The ‘Proclamation of the NAMA Republic’ can be seen here.

It is now crystal clear that the only people that can stop NAMA are the Irish people themselves, by taking to the streets and staying on the streets; by withdrawing their labour; by refusing to pay taxes, rents and mortgages; by refusing to be ruled by a corrupt political class; by bringing the whole sorry NAMA republic to its knees. The time for quiet talking and polite debate has passed. The time for action is upon us. The very future of Ireland and the generations to come are at stake.

Ninety-four years to the day after the 1916 Rising éirígí is organising a public protest outside of the headquarters of Anglo Irish bank on St Stephens Green. The protest will begin at midday on Saturday April 24th. All are welcome. Bígí Linn.