A protest against Irish Water, water charges, water meters, and privatisation, organised by Right2Water Galway, takes place in the Westside area of the city this Saturday, and comes less than a week after a similar protest in Mervue.
The protest begins at 2pm on Saturday, and Right2Water is encouraging people in the Rahoon, Westside, Newcastle areas to take part. The march begins Rahoon cemetery, down Rahoon Road, past Corrach Bui, onto Circular Road, Siobhan McKenna Road, past Corrib Park, onto Thomas Hynes Road, and finishing at the Westside Library, where there will be a short rally.
"Irish Water have been driven out of a number of estates, individuals have resisted meter installations in others, and the number of people joining the boycott of water bills is growing," said a spokesperson for Right2Water Galway. "We ask the people of Galway to come along and support the residents fighting back against the Government's regressive and unsustainable domestic water policy in their own communities."
The protest is the latest such event organised by Right2Water. Last Friday, residents of Old Mervue came out in protest against the deeply unpopular water charges. According to Sinn Féin city councillor Mairéad Farrell, the protest "was one of the biggest" of its kind.
“It is truly heartening to see the absolutely huge turnout at the Old Mervue street meeting – nearly 100 households signed up to resist the installation of water meters”, said Cllr Farrell. “It is a real indication that the people are winning this battle against, what would ultimately be, the privatisation of our public water supply."
