Irish Republican News · October 10, 2003

Major protest called after further bin tax jailings

Anti-bin-charge campaigners called for a massive demonstration in Dublin tomorrow following the jailing of 10 more protesters.

A march from Parnell Square to Mountjoy Prison, where a number of those jailed yesterday are being held, has been organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions.

Campaigners called for the demonstration to be made into a ``massive show of opposition'' to bin charges and the jailing of protesters.

There was uproar in the High Court yesterday when 10 refuse charge protesters were given jail sentences of two weeks.

There were loud and angry scenes at times in the crowded courtroom, court number 13, on the top floor of the Four Courts during and after the case.

One of the defendants, Lisa Carroll, said she was a breast-feeding mother and told the judge that, if she chose to send her to jail: ``You will have that on your head.'' Ms Carroll was jailed for one week.

When Ms Justice Carroll was leaving the bench at the conclusion of the hearing, there was chants of ``Shame on you'' and ``You can't jail us all''.

The protesters jailed yesterday were taken to the training unit at Mountjoy, Clover Hill prison and the Dochas Centre, Mountjoy women's prison.

Hundreds protested outside Mountjoy prison last night.

Those sent to Mountjoy Prison yesterday morning included five women and five men. They joined Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and his party colleague councillor Clare Daly who was jailed for a month in September.

The SIPTU president, Mr Jack O'Connor, said yesterday's jailings were ``a highly provocative action with nothing but negative consequences in the present crisis''.

``Instead of seeking ways to resolve this issue, the authorities at both national and local level seem to be determined to inflame the situation further by seeking the imposition of totally disproportionate punishments on people who have engaged in acts of civil disobedience,'' he said.

The march is due to begin at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, at noon.

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