Irish Republican News · October 15, 2003

Protestor injured as bin charge row escalates

An anti-bin charge protestor has been hospitalised after an incident at a bin depot yesterday, marking a potentially dangerous escalation of a major dispute over the new charge for waste collection in Dublin.

Protestors have blockaded bin lorries to demonstrate their anger at the charge and the confrontational manner in which the council have prosecuted householders who fail to pay. A number of community activists have been jailed over the protests.

Joe Mooney was injured yesterday after his leg became entangled in the front of the van, preventing him from getting out of the way of the vehicle.

Gardai police are investigating the incident which was film by an amateur cameraman and shown on television news last night.

The incident came amind new protests at bin depots across the city and county of Dublin, as well as an effective lockout of bin workers by management at the Ballymount depot.

At least 20 more protestors are due to appear before the High Court in the coming days after ignoring injunctions preventing the obstruction of refuse collections.

Cllr Ruth Coppinger, of the Fingal Anti-Bin Tax Campaign, said the workers' action showed that opposition was growing to the decision to jail 15 protesters.

``The campaign is strong and won't be intimidated by the threat of more jailings,'' she said.

``We are prepared to keep this protest going for as long as it takes.''

Sinn Féin Dublin South West TD Sean Crowe said it was ``reprehensible'' that Dublin's local authorities have adopted the tactics of the 1913 lockout ``in trying to defeat what are legitimate and principled protests against unjust taxation by ordinary people.

``The disruption of all bin collections across the city and county of Dublin is a direct consequence of the unacceptable and outrageous actions of the local authorities. We need them to step back from the confrontational path they have adopted, which has so far resulted in 15 people being jailed in relation to these unjust taxes.''

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