Protest November 2010. Five years on.

On 27th November 2010, well over 100,000 took to the streets of Dublin to protest against the coming years of austerity; cuts to all sorts of benefits & services, extra charges on wages, VAT increase, property tax, water charge and probably a few more I’m missing, and definitely a few more yet to come. 

Since the property tax came in, I've been forced to move home, saw my wages decrease until the company I worked for closed down. I’ve seen my village degrade, library hours cut, roads and footpaths a mess, rubbish increased, lack of council workers on the streets. 

Water is now "managed" by Irish Water who are a joke of company and the most in the spotlight thing of the years of austerity. With overpaid management & consultants and too large a work force, leaks are still widespread, and boil notices still a common practise. I can’t get the Gardai to come to my house when its broken in to, or when I witness a hit and run, but Irish Water will have as many Guards as they need to remove protesters in minutes.

This protest was the first time I noticed some Guards being antagonistic. There has been dozens of protests since, but this was the biggest, I think people have just given up...