TD Paul Murphy will be in Galway next week to address a public meeting on the issues of housing, water charges, political policing, and the “need for a political revolution” in the upcoming General Election.
The Anti Austerity Alliance TD, who will speak at the Connacht Hotel on Monday October 19 at 8pm, is due to face charges, along with 26 others, including the alleged false imprisonment of An Tanaiste Joan Burton at a protest in Jobstown, Tallagh, last November. He has accused the Gardaí of alleged “politically motivated policing”, a call that has been echoed by the Galway branch of the AAA after it transpired that both the Galway and Dublin South West branches of the movement had been denied a permit to collect door to door to help fund their election campaigns.
The reason given for the denial of such permits by the Gardaí was Section 9 of the 1962 Street and House to House Collections Act, which basically states that it was felt that the money raised from such activity would be used for “direct or indirect commission of an unlawful act” or that the proceeds would be used for personal profit. AAA member Conor Burke, who made the application on behalf of the AAA and its Galway West candidate, Tommy Holohan, has called the Garda action “clear and blatant political policing with the intent of cutting across the ability of the AAA to challenge the right-wing political establishment in the election”.
An appeal has been lodged by Mr Burke and is due before the district court on November 3. The public meeting will also focus on the AAA’s political programme and alternative to the politics of austerity. All are welcome to the meeting.
