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'We're on the verge of a really important victory': Large crowds gather in Dublin for Right2Water protest

Crowds turned out in Dublin today for the demonstration.

Updated at 5.30pm

A LARGE CROWD gathered in Dublin city today for the 9th annual Right2Water demonstration in protest against water charges.

Crowds assembled at Heuston and Connolly Stations this afternoon at about 2am before marching towards Dame Street, where a stage was set up and speeches were given.

Trade union official Brendan Ogle – one of the principal organisers of the event – told the gathered crowd that the demonstration was part celebration and part to keep pressure on Government.

The demonstration comes as the committee on water charges prepares to vote on a final report on Tuesday.

RIGHT 2 WATER PROTEST Brendan Ogle speaking at today's demonstration. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

The report recommends the scrapping of water charges, the end of the metering programme and refunds for all who have paid.

However, Fine Gael TDs on the committee this week said they would not sign off on the report, stating that it violated EU conservation laws.

The report has led to s political row between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, with TDs from both parties having  a number of public disputes this week.

‘With the protests since day one’

The Right2Water movement is credited by many groups and politicians with forcing the Government to row back on the controversial charges through pure people power.

The movement kicked off in earnest in 2014 as ever-simmering public anger boiled over into significant numbers taking to the streets.

right 2 water 140_90508064 Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald at today's event. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

A national protest in October of that year confounded the estimates of media observers, drawing tens of thousands to the streets of Dublin.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie at today’s march, Mick Fitzpatrick from the Wicklow Says No group said he had been attending the protests from the beginning.

“We’ve been at the protests since day one and as it got bigger and bigger it got better for everybody,” he said.

I sincerely hope that the people have discovered what their voices can really do.

Fitzpatrick – who was at today’s protest with his wife Marian – said the movement had empowered people who felt they had no voice in the country.

IMG_20170408_145725 Marian and Mick Fitzpatrick at today's march. Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

“It was never really about water it was about everything that’s gone wrong with this country,” he said.

We will beat this and there’s a lot more protests in the pipeline and hopefully people will get their courage and hopefully the’ll get their pride back.

Speakers at today’s march included left-wing TDs Paul Murphy and Joan Collins, as well other figures and representatives from the National bus and Rail Union (NBRU), currently involved in strike action with Bus Éireann.

There was also musical and spoken word performances.

Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said that the point of the demonstration was to get the message to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that people did not want water charges.

“It seems we’re on the verge of a really important victory for ordinary people in this country,” she said

It’s the first victory of a mass movement in Ireland for a generation.

IMG_20170408_151550 Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie Cormac Fitzgerald / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

Coppinger said the mood in the demonstration was “a mixture of celebration but also distrust”.

She said if there was “any messing around” by Government or other parties in relation to the implementation of the committee’s recommendations, people would take to the streets again en masse.

Read: A decision on water charges has been kicked down the road… again

Read: ‘Water charges would already be abolished, if we had a functioning democracy’

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211 Comments
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    Mute William Tallon
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:51 PM

    If it passes, then imagine when it gets to the stage where if you’re 40 years of age, you’ll be able to buy cigarettes, but someone aged 39 won’t be allowed to! Will you have to produce your birth cert when purchasing? It’s going to be impossible to enforce. Even New Zealand, where the idea originated, eventually accepted this and scrapped the legislation…

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    Mute hi from heaven
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:58 PM

    @William Tallon:

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    Mute Jason Memail
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    Apr 17th 2024, 3:47 PM

    @William Tallon: Impossible to enforce? You produce ID to prove your age, similar to what happens today to prove you’re over 18. Pubs and bars in America still require ID to enter the premises, even if you’re middle aged. It’s not as crazy a suggestion as you’re making out

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Apr 17th 2024, 4:06 PM

    @Jason Memail: Errr… Yes, it is crazy! I doubt if anyone in the future is seriously going to be asking a grown adult in their 30s, 40s, or 50s for evidence of their year of birth when they’re looking to purchase cigarettes. It’s totally unworkable, and I suspect, will end up being totally ignored over time by both members of the public and the retail sector. That, of course, is assuming the government ever actually brings it into force, something which I think is highly unlikely…

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    Mute Ronan Mc
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:25 PM

    Hey kids! Want to pay a small fortune to faceless multinational corporations and the taxman and get nothing in return? Start smoking! Apparently it’s rebellious…

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    Mute HisMastersAlibi
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    Apr 16th 2024, 9:08 PM

    @Ronan Mc: very good

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    JP
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    Mute JP
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    Apr 16th 2024, 7:21 PM

    Some of the aul pipe tobaccos had wonderful aromas. Does anyone remember Balkan Sobraine ?

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    Mute Michael Fielding
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:14 PM

    Proper order

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:12 PM

    No place anymore for the filthy smokes they stink to high heaven.

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    Mute Gavan Hogan
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:44 PM

    @Sean Money: Let’s ban drugs too.

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Apr 16th 2024, 9:29 PM

    @Roy Dowling: well they make you sick and are very smelly. Surely a ban is correct.

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    Mute Chutes
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    Apr 16th 2024, 8:58 PM

    My grandmother died, I don’t need another nanny!

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    Mute hi from heaven
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:13 PM

    Sounds good, but ya would wonder…I don’t smoke or drink, so don’t pay a stupid tax…
    People should have the right to smoke, drink,eat fatty food, drink coke etc etc…
    But don’t expect me to feel sorry for you when you phone Joe duffy giving out about the health service, while you yourself are clogging it up with self inflicted problems…
    Give up smokes and get decent health insurance…52 x 60 euro on pigs would get one he’ll of cover

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    Mute Paul Conlon
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:36 PM

    @hi from heaven: but why inflict the longer waiting list on people who dont smoke. Surely trying to get rid of smoking in its entirety would benefit the health system. I’m pretty sure the tax paid by smokers isn’t comparable to the money it costs to treat long term smoker related diseases

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    Mute Paul Conlon
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    Apr 16th 2024, 7:26 PM

    @Roy Dowling: well while we’re at it…….

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    Mute Chutes
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    Apr 16th 2024, 8:55 PM

    @Roy Dowling: Why not, prohibition has proved so effective?!! Such shite coming from our governors now it’s so bloody transparent. They take us for fools and we let them, nay re-elect them. It’s on us that they lie so easily, we let them!

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 17th 2024, 12:01 PM

    @Roy Dowling: It hardly makes sense to suggest banning anything “to benefit the health system”. There’s no provision to ring fence any funds for healthcare and zero guarantee that this is anyone’s priority. It’s an excuse that can only boost gangland profiteering. If alcohol in excess is as dangerous as you imagine, none of those alcoholics will live to claim their pensions. They’re not causing medical staff to protest about working conditions to the point of leaving Ireland. People need treatment and help, not scapegoating.

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    Mute hi from heaven
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    Apr 16th 2024, 5:59 PM

    @Paul Conlon: the tax may or may not cover it, but don’t forget it is usually the lower paid people who smoke and definitely less likely to give them up as an adult..
    So alot of money is saved through these people dying younger as they would be a total burden on health care, housing and pensions that would have to be provided by the state..

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    Mute Regular John
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    Apr 16th 2024, 7:26 PM

    @hi from heaven:
    You won’t be going anywhere near heaven with a comment like that. Poor people are a burden ?

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    Mute damien leen
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    Apr 16th 2024, 9:12 PM

    @hi from heaven: do the world a favour and STFU!

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    Mute Dee Dee
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    Apr 17th 2024, 5:20 AM

    I don’t drink or smoke, but I drink loads of coffee. I am forever being told by doctors to cut down, as I have sleep issues. But I don’t want it banned – coffee shops are my life!

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    Mute Chutes
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    Apr 16th 2024, 8:53 PM

    What the fk is going on with our governors, is there an election soon?

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 17th 2024, 11:55 AM

    @Chutes: Are you in a prison that you keep squawking about “our governors”? This article is about the UK for a start. Different jurisdiction.

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    Mute Conrad Stapletwin
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    Apr 17th 2024, 10:13 AM

    Criminal gangs/black market operators in the UK must be rubbing their hands at this proposal. Yet another potential revenue stream for them to exploit.
    Education around the dangers of smoking should be the focus not implementing a futile ban on the sales of cigarettes. Historically, prohibition has been shown to fail in it’s objectives and I don’t expect this ban will be any different.

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 17th 2024, 11:54 AM

    @Conrad Stapletwin: Good to hear that someone is moderate and reasonable. Of course gangs are going to profit from prohibition.

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    Mute Athena
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    Apr 17th 2024, 9:17 AM

    While I applaud the sentiment, health and such benefits, I would worry about the trend and what may come next.

    No fat/sugar products to be sold to overweight/fat/obese consumers?

    If we let governments decide rather than taking personal responsibilities then we’re signing choice making freedoms away.

    Not sure where it will stop but am worried about where it starts.
    Ever thought that as a parent you have no control over school meals.
    While this can be a blessing for some kids, I would not allow it for my children.

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    Mute Fintan Stack
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    Apr 16th 2024, 10:35 PM

    Smoking weed included?

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    Mute Conrad Stapletwin
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    Apr 17th 2024, 10:17 AM

    @Fintan Stack: Weed doesn’t need to be smoked to be consumed/enjoyed. Vapes have completely removed the need for burning harmful carcinogens when consuming cannabis.

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    Mute Sean oSuilleabhain
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    Apr 16th 2024, 11:05 PM

    Didn’t realise it was overturned in New Zealand. Probably was a good idea to begin with. It’s like George Orwellian versus the cancer industry .. tobacco lobby is EVIL ENOUH SAID

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Apr 17th 2024, 7:35 AM

    Again if you ban something, it should be for everyone

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    Mute F Fitzgerald
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    Apr 17th 2024, 11:57 AM

    @Dominic Leleu: Rationing might be a more balanced response. Even in US States where alcohol was frowned on for various reasons – and not all good reasons either – a normal amount was still available for those who chose to drink etc. Legally.

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    Mute Dan Skelton
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    Apr 17th 2024, 11:48 AM

    If only the UK could ban Tories.

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    Mute Padraig O'Brien
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    Apr 17th 2024, 12:18 PM

    Anyone who breaks this law should be burnt at the stake!

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