'Occupy Wall Street' Protest Spreads to Ireland
The “Occupy Wall Street” Protest, which began with a mere 100 followers, has extended nationally and now globally, reaching supporters as far as Dublin, Ireland Saturday.
Renamed “Occupy Dame Street,” the Irish protest channels both the Tahrir Square and “Occupy Wall Street” protests. Roughly 100 followers have gathered outside the Central Bank headquarters, the Irish epicenter for economic commerce, on Dame Street in Dublin.
The protest, which began Oct. 8, echoes objectives similar to Wall Street’s, referring to itself as “one of dozens of sister occupations.”
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“Our demand is that the private bank debt that has been socialised and burdened upon the population of the country who had nothing to do with it be lifted,” according to the protest’s Facebook page, which serves as its main source of communication.
They also demanded that oil and gas companies originally owned by Ireland’s west coast population be taken from the hands of corporations and given back to the people.
The main mission of the “leaderless resistance” movement is to end corporate corruption in a peaceful manner, without political affiliation.
“Our demand is for real, participatory democracy – where the people’s interest comes first, where the people decide what happens,” the protest said in a press release.
Despite having far less monetary problems than its Greek neighbor, Ireland is seen as a “veteran of Europe’s financial crisis,” according to Reuters.
Former president Bill Clinton delivered a speech to Ireland’s Prime Minister Edna Kennedy Saturday, urging Ireland’s bigwigs to invest their stagnant money in their country.
He also promised the struggling country that he would host a summit meeting in NYC to address the country’s needs and garner donations.
“I think you ought to target the ones that you know are rolling in dough. These are people who are sitting on money. They know you’re a competitive country and they know they can trust you,” Clinton told Ireland’s elite at the Dublin Castle.
The protest, which originated on Wall Street, gained momentum nationally, spreading to major U.S. countries including Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Oregon.
It gained even more momentum last week when it was joined by 30 U.S. unions, attracting 10,000 followers in the Union March on Oct. 5.
The NYC branch of the protest will garner more public attention Monday, when Rev. Al Sharpton broadcasts his public radio program, “The Al Sharpton Show,” live from Zuccotti Park.
