Joe Duffy Highlights Makeup at Protest

national | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis Thursday May 20, 2010 19:51 by Gavin Gleeson - Workers Solidarity Movement - Lucy Parsons (Personal Capacity)

Joe Duffy invited two protesters, Holly, and Leah, who were at the protest at the Dáil on Tuesday the 18th of May, on to his Radio show on RTE. These two protesters were contacted because they had been wearing fake blood, in an attempt to highlight that the Gardaí had taken quite violent action, including bludgeoning protesters with steel batons, against people who were fighting against public service cuts - indeed fighting against the very cuts that the Gardaí themselves will suffer.

The reason they were called on the show became apparent very quickly. It was to make an example of them, lampoon them and castigate them for their theatrics. The irony of this is that, were they to have remained "respectful protesters" they would never have been on the show at all. Real politics has no place in our media, and clowns like Duffy should know this full well.

Holly and Leah, clearly knew something about the media that many of us haven't copped onto yet. The media are not after a meaningful discussion, and least of all a solution to our problems. They're looking for a circus. They didn't invite anyone on the show to discuss the absurdity of Gardaí defending their own paycuts. They wouldn't even listen to Holly when she repeatedly highlighted how crazy it is for the Gardaí to fight so violently against people who are on their side.

At some point Fintan made an analogy between the Gardaí defense of the Dáil, and of how we would resist people tresspassing into our own houses. Well, the politicians have already done this. They've gone into our homes and stole our paychecks. We've been robbed to prop up bankers and theives.

What would have happened if the Gardaí had not attacked the protesters? It would almost certainly have been a peaceful occupation of the Dáil grounds, no more violent than any of the symbolic occupations of the civil rights movement. The Gardaí owe no real allegiance to the rich bankers or the politicians that are keen on cutting their wages, benefits and pentions, and the only thing that makes such protests violent is the use of violence to stop people who want a fair deal.

Here is a challenge to Joe Duffy and Fintan O'Toole. If you want "seriousness", you can come on Radio Solidarity and talk about politics, rather than what theatrics are appropriate to protests. The invitation is open, but I suspect that you'd feel out of place when not in the circus.