Balls of steel are needed for jobs that entail moments of terror inspiring, mortal danger. They are a requisite for Rescue services, police forces and fire brigades and are seen as a “must have” in the logging, fishing and steel industries across the world.

The use of steel balls is not exclusive to heavy industries though. It is the rattling sound you hear when an elderly lady fights off a mugger, or a passer-by runs into a burning building to rescue a child.

Brass balls have different properties. They come with an air of cocky assuredness that could prove dangerous in a steel ball situation. They should be used for heated or polarised debates, wage negotiations and lobbying politicians. In domestic situations they are useful in encounters with landlords or noisy neighbours as well as being useful at gatherings like weddings or PTA meetings.

Extreme sports enthusiasts like sky divers, surfers and snowboarders are crazy! They are clearly wearing brass balls in steel ball situations and should check their warranties. It’s possible that any damage won’t be covered.

We were all issued with these at birth. If you don’t know where yours are, check the backs of drawers or under wardrobes and you’ll find them. They come in a leather pouch that is easily recognisable, and has either a male or female attachment.

It’s easy to tell who’s wearing what. Notice who smiles when the call to action comes. They are the ones thinking “Good choice today!”

Anyone who knows me will have heard of the Anti-Eviction Taskforce. I have always seen it as an “action group” of Occupy which has been a wonderful platform for a wide range of issues.  We are all aware by now of the multitude of sins that have been committed upon the people by the workings of a corrupt and unaccountable system. The good people who started this campaign against home evictions have found themselves entrenched with other aspect of the struggle, such as fracking and economic issues, and have kindly asked me to take the helm of this worthy campaign. (they are busy saving the world after all.)  Among the many assurances given by the current government before the election was the aspiration that people would not lose their homes. I don’t have the figures to hand, but I was witness to one of Alsops repossession auctions recently. There I met people who had indeed lost their homes, and all semblance of a normal life along with it. Soon after goes the hope of ever regaining what you lost as the burden of debt still weighs upon you and prospects for recovery are shredded by our current masters. I saw an article recently that stated that three people commit suicide in Ireland every day. I read another that claimed that there was no evidence that the rise in suicide was related peoples economic situation. History has shown the “dogs on the street” to be the heralds of true information, and they know otherwise.

A lot of people have told me that what occupy has done for them the most was to inspire hope. Hope seems to be a rare commodity in these oppressive times and is a real solution to many of lifes problems. I am honoured to accept this challenge in the hope that we can help to restore some of the hope that Enda Kenny and his cronies have dashed so cruelly. (I also note the bar has been set quite high by those who began this campaign, and wish them all the best in their various endeavours. Love and solidarity hugs to everyone who has made their voices heard through the many campaigns. Rock On!)

I have spoken to some of ye about a callout list before so if anyone has collected names for this, thank you very much and please email me at gillenh2012@gmail.com.

The plan is to put together a list of people who could show up at an eviction and physically prevent it from happening through non-violent civil disobedience. Lockons perhaps? 150 “visitors”?

Anyone interested in this kind of action please send  your name and number or some kind of contact, and what part of the country you are in to the above email,  message me on facebook, or I can be contacted by post at, AET Dept. Occupy Galway, Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland. Please put AET in the subject box for emails so you don’t get mixed up with the spam.

WARNING!!!!!!!!

Addition to this list should not be taken lightly. Actions of this nature have not been taken since the time of the Land League, and are likely to lead to arrest, court appearance and fines. (does that sound like the TV licence ad?)

I’ve heard Martin Luther King Jr. quoted a lot since I joined Occupy. “We have a duty to disobey unjust laws” seems to come up the most.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/AntiEvictionTaskforce

I was shocked to realise that this struggle has been going on for eleven years.

Having read an article recently on royaldutchshellplc.com regarding an environmental disaster involving the release of untreated effluent into the bay and breaches in building regulations at the Shell compound in mayo, I was moved to join them in their struggle. I had heard about a day of Solidarity that is a regular thing at the camp, and decided to go to the beautiful county of Mayo to offer my support.

The trip was unremarkable. Wanting to be there early, I had decided to travel late and sleep in the car, so as to be on the spot when I awoke. I knew the camp was in the vicinity of Rossport but did not know exactly where. The countryside passed unnoticed in the darkness as I made my way north though Mayo and eventually I found myself at Rossport pier. I unpacked my sleeping bag and settled for what remained of the night.

I awoke to the magnificent sight of Sruwaddacon Bay, where the Children of Lirr spent their last 300 years. It was a dry bright morning and cotton mist rolled down the hills across the bay. I set off to find the camp. The fabulous scenery was only spoiled by an area of yellow flashing lights. The machinery of destruction on a hillside in the distance. I soon found the camp and was met by a fellow Galway Occupier, who told me that they had all just gone and gave me directions where to find them.

That is when the darker side of this issue first became apparent to me. As I left the communal building of the solidarity camp I saw a Garda jeep with 4 or 5 gardai inside. I immediately noticed that I was being filmed by a young Garda in the back seat. I had heard stories of this sort of intimidation before and waved cheerily as I made my way to my car. I had gotten about ½ a mile when I spotted the flashing blue lights in my rear view mirror. I found a safe place to pull over and got out of the car to meet them. Two gardai got out of the jeep, both wearing blue fleece jackets without identifying numbers. Neither identified themselves and the larger one asked me for the usual details. I asked why I had been stopped and was informed that I had a broken rear light. (The indicator cover is broken.) I furnished him with my details and after a thorough check of test, tax, insurance and tyres I went on my way. I noticed immediately that they were following behind but thought nothing of it. The spectacular scenery of Sruwaddacon bay caught my eye, and i pulled in to take a photo, as the gardai passed me by.

Resuming my journey, I found the garda jeep pulled in further up and was a little unnerved to see them pull out and follow me. I proceeded without incident until came to a petrol station at a crossroads where I pulled in for a coffee. The garda jeep sped off down the Bangor road.

I had been unsure of which way to go from there until then. Now I was following them.

A few miles down the road I came to a junction with a line of about a dozen yellow jacketed private security guards, blocking the entrance to a very out of place fenced area. Across from this scene were a small group of people blocking the path of a jeep with a yellow light on top.  I recognised some fellow Galway Occupiers among them being manhandled out of the way by gardai  and turned off to find a place to park, beeping encouragement as I passed.

The rest of the day involved a lot of pushing and shoving and jumping in front of lorries and jeeps. I am new to this sport but soon got the hang of it as the morning wore into afternoon. I also noticed people in the field around the compound, playing “catch me if you can,” with Shell Oils private security.

Tempers flared briefly and shouting was done at the stone silent gardai, but overall it was good natured and there were only minor injuries to protesters.

I should note that as I parked my car, a passer by quietly wished me luck and warned me that I’d be done for parking there. Before I could engage her, she hurried off, saying she couldn’t be seen talking to me. Such is the aura of distrust in this community.

There are deep personal issues running throughout this conflict and the community is divided by the offer of employment in this environmentaly destructive industry.

Although I am back at home in Galway, I do not feel removed from this struggle as I have made my own emotional connection to this debate. I lost my daughter at the age of ten to an asthma attack on a hot summer day in the smog filled city of London. The direct result of environmental pollution.

They have been talking about electric cars for 30 years now.

I saw a saw an article recently about a man who drives a motorbike that runs on compressed air.

I am given to believe that companies like Shell Oil are suppressing this technology, by buying up patents and locking them away for ever.

If there had been a few electric cars on the road, that fateful day in London, my daughter might still be alive.

Needless to say, I will be a regular visitor to the wilds of Mayo in future and hope to be jumping in front of many more lorries.

This “work” must be stopped if we are to save what little natural landscape remains in this country. It is pointless to continue with it anyway. Environmentaly friendly technologies do exist. Solar panels and turbine generators have become standard in many homes and electric cars are becoming more common, despite their prohibitive price .

At the rate the good people of Rossport and surrounding area are slowing down the work, oil based technologies will be obsolete by the time they are finished.

I would suggest that anyone who has a day or two to spare, go to Pollathomas, find the camp and get involved. You will be saving lives, and who knows, Shell just may concede defeat and pack in the whole operation.

As the lady in the Rossport post office said, when asked for directions to the camp, “Turn right at the top of the road, right again, then right again. If you get lost just ask a garda. There are lots of them around.”

There can be no claim to democracy, when our politicians have been elected on the basis of outright lies. Enda Kenny campaigned vigorously against a household charge when Fianna Fail talked of introducing it a few years ago. Now it is top of his agenda, even if it means threatening the electorate with fines and court appearances. Yet another attempt to criminalise the poor and the elderly, who have been stripped of everything but their homes.

The presence of the Anti-Eviction Taskforce shows the extent to which cuts and charges have put people, who were already stretched before the budget, on the fine line between eating and losing their homes. Another of Enda Kennys forgotten pre- election promises.

The mic check was arranged by Occupy Galway. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in making this action successful. We chose article 45 of the Irish Constitution in order to remind them of their duties to the people, as they seem to have forgotten.

The people of Ireland have watched in horror, as services and benefits have been decimated and our countryside ravaged in pursuit of the natural resources that we have given away, while corrupt and failed politicians retire on jaw dropping pensions and benefits. Yesterdays turnout is testament to the fact that all walks of life and all aspects of life, are being affected by the decisions that our elected representatives make. For Micheal Crowe to have the audacity to refer to the good and justifiably angry people who took part in this demonstration as the lowest form of humanity, simply shows his contempt for the people of Ireland who gave him his lofty position.

Heartfelt thanks and respect to all who took part in this truly uplifting show of solidarity and people power.

Cllr. Pairiag Conneelly came to the camp, complete with TV3 camera crew, but instead of engaging in intelligent debate, resorted to verbal abuse of the people there. This of course was not shown by TV3 news.

Micheal Crowe is probably our most vocal opponent, describing himself as” incensed” at our presence in the square.

Micheal Crowe has no right to be incensed by members of the public using Eyre Square as a meeting place, as has been happening for hundreds of years. He has even less right to make slanderous accusations at law abiding citizens, by insisting that we are breaking the law. He has raised this issue several times and been told by the Gardai that we are not breaking the law. It’s time that he stopped his persecution of good people who are working (with limited resources) to improve the lot of those who have been failed by corrupt democracy in Ireland.

We will not be shoo’d like insects or small children and we will not be bullied by threats of legal action to stop us from using a public space. We are neither children nor criminals, and we will not be intimidated by the very gombeens that have led the country to the ruin that we see in our communities today.

Far from being a hindrance, Occupy Galway has found its place in the community as a stopping point for people ranging from weary shoppers who want nothing more than a cup of tea and a chat, to people who are disillusioned or enraged by the impossible burdens that have been placed on them by government and society. We have developed a platform for community lectures in everything from philosophy to money management.  We have helped to highlight issues like the proposed closure of St. Francis’ Nursing Home. We have highlighted the payment of every unsecured bond and will continue until the bond holder bailout is stopped. We have also raised money for charities such as St. Vincent de Paul and Cope.

Anecdotally, I have been told that the square is safer at night, as there are always a few people on safety duty to protect the campers from the drunken yobs who roam the square. (unchallenged by Mssrs. Crowe and Conneelly I might add.) Often, people will wait in the safety and relative comfort of the camp for friends or family to bring them home.

I have seen positive changes in Eyre Square in the 11 weeks since Occupy Galway started. The most gratifying of these is the increased sense of hope that people have and the affirmation that we can make a difference. Not in the camp, but among the thousands of Occupy supporters in the city and across the country.  There is also a great sense of satisfaction in the knowledge that these community building efforts are echoed around the country in Occupy camps in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Letterkenny and other towns around the country.

I am proud to be a part of this process and look forward to a long and constructive continuance of Occupy Galway as it develops into whatever entity it is bound to become.

Dear sir/madam,

In response to Councillor Micheal Crowes call for the occupiers of Eyre Square to move on.

Firstly I think it is important for Mr. Crowe to understand what the Occupy Movement is about. It is not a question of making a point and moving on.

The people of Ireland have, for many years, and even decades, watched as scandal after scandal unfolded before our eyes, and corruption after corruption went unpunished and even rewarded by successive governments, fronted by Mr. Crowes Fianna Fail party.

Meanwhile, the citizens of this country have seen hospital closures, education cuts and cuts to services across the board. Wage cuts and levies, cuts to pensions and social welfare and huge job losses across a range of industries.

We now face another hairshirt budget, a housing charge, septic tank and water charges. While wages fall and unemployment rises, we face an ever increasing cost of living.

Meanwhile we are ruled by a government that are unwilling and unable to represent the very citizens who elect them.

The same systemic failure seems to have manifested globally and we see governments around the world, being dictated to by banks and global corporations, in order to maintain the wealth of private shareholders. Decades of corruption, incompetence and the “brown envelope” culture of Irish politics has led to the failure of the democratic system itself. Our “new” government continues the charade of false promises and hypocrisy that has become the norm in these dark times.

This brings me to the “campers” in Eyre Square. The Occupy Galway Movement is just a small part of a nationwide and global movement, determined to find real solutions to the social and economic problems that our government has heaped upon the people of this nation. We are creating a forum for open and inclusive debate of the issues that affect us all, in the hope of finding solutions by democratic consensus.

I need not remind Mr. Crowe that our right to assembly and free speech is enshrined in our constitution. These rights were guaranteed by our forefathers to protect us from the very type of corruption and oppression that faces us today.

This is not a protest. This is a new type of forum for debate and problem solving that is essential to the very survival of the people of Ireland. If the government will not represent us, then we will find a way to represent ourselves and create the future we deserve. We know it will not be easy. We know that we will face opposition from the likes of Mr. Crowe and his ilk, who are in fear of losing control of the corrupt systems that rule this nation.

The support and generosity of the people of Galway towards this Movement has been overwhelming. We are told every day, by the ordinary citizens of this country, that they wish they could join us in our endeavours, but camping in Eyre Square in winter is not for the elderly or faint hearted. Nor is it appropriate for the many people who work one or two jobs at a time in order to make ends meet and to provide for their families.  Yes we are a target for thuggery, but we have been subjected to thuggery on a grand scale by the unseen entities that control our government and we want to see an end to it. Our support is evidenced in the many donations and good will that we receive, as well as the many signitures to our petition.

I cannot say we will not be moved. That is a matter for debate and consensus, but we will not be frightened by threats of thuggery. We have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. We have the right to openly discuss our views and opinions. We feel a great urgency to find solutions to the many problems that face us as a nation. We have discovered a great many problems that need to be solved. We have found Eyre Square to be an ideal setting for this endeavour and hope to be there until solutions are found.

On behalf of the Occupy Galway Movement I thank you for reading this letter and ask that you add your voice to this debate.

Yours sincerely,

Gillen Hardesty,

Occupy Galway,

Eyre Square.

Recently, a group of us from Occupy Galway joined a demonstration at City Hall to protest against the Housing, water and septic tank charges that have been introduced in the last budget. We had booked places in the public gallery, intending to do a mic check on the councillors at the appropriate moment. On arriving at City Hall we joined a good crowd outside and there was lots of chanting and speaking done, as angry citizens lined up to air their grievances, with more chanting in between.

Later, as we filed into council chambers to take our seats in the gallery, I noticed that there were glasses and jugs of water laid out around the councillors table. Vociferous protest is a thirsty job, so I went directly and poured myself a glass, which I drank in a single gulp. A smartly dressed man I hadn’t noticed before, rushed over with a look of horror on his face, as I replaced the empty glass on the tray. Furiously indicating the water cooler in the corner, he lifted the soiled glass in the way one might lift a smelly sock, and rushed it from the room.

There was a huge sense of empowerment in this simple act of political incorrectness.

I’m sure I felt Rosa Parks give me a hug.