on protest etiquette
higgins and harte have both posted the contents of a sign that was liberally waved about at last friday's irish ferries protest
the sign, which has now strangely disappeared from the room, contained a quote from Pastor Niemoeller's famous poem about Nazi prosecution
the one that ends, then they came for me-/and there was no one left/to speak out for me
let's keep things in perspective now
the Nazi's were responsible for the systematic extermination of millions of innocents
irish ferries want to bring in low-waged workers from latvia
so maybe the use of Niemoeller's poem wasn't in the best of taste
beyond that, there was a weird subtext to the protest in general
maybe i'm overly cynical, but i get the feeling that whole gig was more to do with protecting irish jobs than it was about protecting the rights of the workers that irish ferries are gearing up to exploit
and when they fucked the latvians over i did not speak out, because i was irish and had a secure, well-paid job and didn't really care for as long as it didn't effect me
if anyone massively disagrees i'll get in to this a bit more
or think about it at least
the sign, which has now strangely disappeared from the room, contained a quote from Pastor Niemoeller's famous poem about Nazi prosecution
the one that ends, then they came for me-/and there was no one left/to speak out for me
let's keep things in perspective now
the Nazi's were responsible for the systematic extermination of millions of innocents
irish ferries want to bring in low-waged workers from latvia
so maybe the use of Niemoeller's poem wasn't in the best of taste
beyond that, there was a weird subtext to the protest in general
maybe i'm overly cynical, but i get the feeling that whole gig was more to do with protecting irish jobs than it was about protecting the rights of the workers that irish ferries are gearing up to exploit
and when they fucked the latvians over i did not speak out, because i was irish and had a secure, well-paid job and didn't really care for as long as it didn't effect me
if anyone massively disagrees i'll get in to this a bit more
or think about it at least
posted by Tony at 12:41 p.m.
10 Comments:
should be Irish people not be more aware of, and thus quick to condemn, this exploitative phenomenon...seeing that it isn't that long since we fought the same injustices as those now persecuted?
No Blacks
No Dogs
No Irish
rabble rabble rabble rabble
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jebus, I was just sayin'...
I think the point of the sign was to draw a lesson from the Holocaust, not a comparison.
Also 100,000 people did march through Dublin to oppose the Iraq War. It did fuckall use but it was the right thing to do.
Dave you're so wrong. As our marvellous Taoiseach informed us, the 100,000 people weren't protesting against the war. No, no. They were protesting in favour of government policy since Ireland wasn't supporting the war. Roll on 2007...
Well Tony, of course it was primarily about protecting the rights of irish workers. But it was also about what conditions people working for an irish company should expect to work under, regardless of where they come from.
Should exploitation not be challanged and demonstrated against? Or is the idea that anyone who enjoys decent pay and conditions forfeits their right to stick up for other people who don't have the same good fortune?
I do think that yours is a cynical view of the protest. There were a huge amount of people present, which hints at the general discontent felt by a considerable number of workers in Ireland. Protest has a huge influence, even if it does not always result in an immediate change of government policy.
The sign that I picked up at that march was possibly not the most appropriate for the issue at hand, but I think, as dave also noted in his comment, that the point was not to make a direct comparison with the Holocaust (do you really believe that anyone thinks the situation is comparable?) but rather to show the importance of solidarity. That is, after all, what the whole point of the protest was.
Actually, I feel like adding something after having another look at your post. You say you suspect that its really all just about people looking after their own jobs, and you parody the poem.
it strikes me that you are being somewhat contradictory. people are speaking out, in the best way that they can, by protest. How many people on that march worked for Irish Ferries? Ascribing purely selfish motives to people when they are marching in support of the rights of others seems to me to be the very opposite of "and when they fucked the latvians over i did not speak out, because i was irish and had a secure, well-paid job and didn't really care as long as it didn't effect me"
Who is speaking out against exploitation more, the unions and gernal public who marched in solidarity with other workers or someone who finds fault with one sign amongst 100,000?
rabble rabble rabble rabble
Why do I bother? you can do better than that Mr. T.
Post a Comment
<< Home