THE CAMPAIGNERS RUNNING a protest camp outside the Central Bank in Dublin have released a manifesto outlining the aims of their movement.
In the collective statement, which comes on the fourth day of the Occupy Dame Street protest, the group states that they are “a diverse people’s initiative, unaffiliated with political parties”. The statement calls for equality and social justice and goes on to list several key demands of the movement.
The Occupy Dame Street protest – inspired by the Occupy Wall Street events which have spread across cities in the US – has seen widespread media coverage since kicking off on Saturday, but has also come under fire over a perceived lack of clarity on its objectives.
The statement lists four central aims:
Our demand is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stay out of our affairs. We do not want their influence or control.Our demand is that the private bank debt that has been socialised and burdened upon the population of the country who had nothing to do with it be lifted. We will not pay and let our children and their children pay for this crisis that private banks and bondholders have caused. It is their problem, not ours.
Our demand is that the oil and gas reserves off our coast that were criminally handed away to private corporations be returned to sovereign control.
Our demand is for real, participatory democracy – where the people’s interests come first, where the people decide what happens.
The statement acknowledges that the group “do not [...] have a complete list of solutions,” but called for more people to join the movement, saying: “The process is just beginning. The more participation we can build, the more power our decisions will carry.”
It continues: “We say to the people of Ireland, if you have ever looked for an opportunity to engage in realistic change, this is the platform.”
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