BERNIE HUGHES, ONE of four anti-water charge protesters freed from prison this week following a ruling by the President of the High Court, has said she plans to run for the Dáil at the next general election.
She’s unsure as yet whether the bid will go ahead – and says she will have to see if a campaign can be properly financed.
Hughes was sentenced to 28 days in prison last month for breaching an order to stay at least 20 metres away from metering work being carried out by GMC Sierra on behalf of Irish Water.
She was freed on Monday after Justice Nicholas Kearns found that there were problems with the warrant of committal ordering the protesters’ detention.
In last year’s local elections, Hughes ran on a ‘United Left’ ticket. She missed out on a seat in the Cabra Finglas ward of Dublin City Council by around 400 votes.
Asked what banner she might run under this time, she said it was something she would have to consider.
I would still be considering that at this time – if United Left was still in existence that I would stand with United Left.
She said she was relieved to be out of prison, adding that she didn’t believe they should have been there in the first place.
I will say that Justice Kearns did the right thing. There were too many discrepancies in the warrant and he couldn’t do anything else but to release us.
On the question of whether she would continuing with the tactic of direct-action against water metering, she said she had already been out supporting street protests in recent days.
However, she added that she hadn’t personally “stopped anybody” since her release from prison “but we were out showing solidarity”.
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