Category: Events


Protest Against the G8 Sat 15 June Belfast, Mon 17th June Enniskillen

Filed under: Anti-war, Enough! Campaign, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
June 11, 2013

g8 posterThe G8 are the leaders of the eight richest countries on earth – the USA, Germany, Britain, France, Japan, Canada, Italy, and Russia. This year the G8 summit will take place near Enniskillen on 16 and 17 June. They will gather to co-ordinate policies for defending privilege and inequality. The G8 and its associates represent the pillar organisations of corporate globalisation.

It will be a focus for protestors to gather and voice demands for global justice. So far, the ICTU is planning a march in Belfast on Saturday 15 June. A counter summit is being organised by G8 Alternatives on Sunday 16 June in Belfast. And a major protest is scheduled for Enniskillen on Monday 17 June.

There will also be public meetings around the country to help mobilise for the G8 protests. If you want to get involved contact 085 858 5292.

Download timetable for G-8 Counter Summit here

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Over twenty “walks in the woods” nationwide this weekend against harvesting rights sale plan and to celebrate public forest ownership

Filed under: Current Campaigns, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
June 7, 2013

An official announcement is needed not media whispers to calm public concern

saveforests_june9The Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League today announced that more than twenty “Walks in the Woods” would take place across the country this weekend, Sunday June 9th, in a national day of action opposing the proposed sale of the harvesting rights to Ireland’s public forests and celebrating public forest ownership rights.

Walks will take place in Dublin, Cork, Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Cavan, Galway, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Clare, Wexford, Wicklow, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, Wexford (see below full list of locations and contact details).

The call for a national day of action on June 9th in local woods was made at the hugely successful “Walk in the Woods” in Avondale Co. Wicklow in April attended by over 4000 people – also organised by the Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League.

The organisers of this weekend’s events say that while the Avondale protest and wider public outrage has clearly shaken the government, the Minister’s responsible, Brendan Howlin and Simon Coveney, had still failed to make any official announcement that the government was now abandoning its previous commitment under the EU-IMF troika programme to sell-off Coillte’s harvesting rights.

The organisers noted that the new junior Minister for Agriculture, Tom Hayes, when asked directly yesterday on RTE about whether the sale plan would go-ahead, gave an entirely non-committal answer – stating only the final decision would be “in the best interests of the country.”

The organisers said their campaign would continue until they forced the government to make a definitive announcement that the privatisation plan was being shelved and called on the public to join the national day of action this Sunday.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD for People Before Profit and one of the organisers of the Natural Resources Protection Alliance said: “It is absolutely essential that we continue to mobilise to demand that our national forests, and the harvesting rights to those forests, remain one hundred per cent in public ownership.”

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Hundreds take part in Dáil protest to oppose sale of public forest harvest rights

Filed under: Current Campaigns, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
May 21, 2013

Nationwide Day of National protest on June 9th announced

Protestors demand clear government commitment that forest privatisation will be abandoned.

protest 6Hundreds of protesters attended a demonstration today at 5.30pm outside the Dáil as part of the Natural Resources Protection Alliance and The Woodland League campaign against the government’s proposal to sell the harvesting rights to Ireland’s public forests.

The protest announced details of a nation-wide day of action on June 9th, where “Walk in the Woods” protests will take place in Coillte woodlands in several different locations across the country.

The call for further nation-wide and local protests comes following the huge success of the “Walk in the Woods” protest at Avondale, Co Wicklow, in April, where over 4000 people rallied in opposition to the planned sale of Coillte’s harvesting rights.

protest 2Speakers at the protest included Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Catherine Murphy TD, Andrew St. Ledger, Woodland League, a former Coillte worker and others.

The Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League believe that their Avondale protest and wider public outrage has put significant pressure on the government. However, they warned that off-the-cuff comments in the aftermath of the Wicklow protest by Minister Rabbitte about the sale plan being “unlikely” to go ahead, had little value until line Minister’s Howlin and Coveney made a definitive announcement.

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Protest against sell off of Coillte harvesting rights at Dail tomorrow at 5.30pm

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Events, PBP-ULA
May 20, 2013

protestmay21Following on from the successful Walk in the Woods at Avondale House in Wicklow, with over 4000 people showing their opposition to the Government’s plans to sell off Coillte harvesting rights, the Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League have called a protest at the dail.

The protest will take place tomorrow Tuesday 21st May at 5.30pm.

In the weeks following the protest, Minister Pat Rabbitte said the sale of Coillte harvesting rights was ‘unlikely’ yet Taoiseach Enda Kenny said they were ‘considering’ the sale and they had received reassurances there there would be no difficulties with public access and biodiversity.

The organisers of the protest are calling on the public to come to the protest at the dail to step up the pressure on the government to make a definitive statement and give a clear commitment that our public forests will not be sold or leased to private companies.

The organisers will also announce details of a national day of protest on June 9th.

Speakers at the protest will include Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Andrew St. Ledger, The Woodland League, Catherine Murphy TD and others

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Our Forests are NOT for Sale Protest May 21st

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Events
May 9, 2013

protestmay21

Check out Facebook event here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/379087055541753/

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Charity plants a million trees while government moves to sell-off tens of millions to speculators

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Enough! Campaign, EU-IMF Deal, Events, Finance, PBP-ULA
April 26, 2013

Urgent call on public to mobilise to Avondale as prominent artists and activists join forces to oppose public forest sale

forestsIn a statement the Natural Resources Protection Alliance & The Woodland League have appealed to the public to join the “Walk in the Woods” protest and concert in Avondale Forest Park this Sunday April 28th to oppose the sale of the harvesting rights to Ireland’s publicly owned forest estate under the EU-IMF ‘Troika programme.

“The Walk in the Woods” will feature songs, poems and readings from Christy Moore, Paddy Casey, Jeremy irons, Sinead Cusack, Denis Conway, Brid Ní Neachtain, Larry Beau, Madu, Landless & more. The event will assemble at 1pm in the car-park of Avondale House.

In their statement, the organisers said that it was deeply ironic that a charity was this weekend organising communities across the country to plant one million trees, while at the same time the government was moving to sell-off tens of millions of trees to pay-off the gambling debts of private financial institutions.

The organisers also strongly criticised the government for breaking pre-election promises that they would oppose moves to privatise Coillte and retain the national forest estate in public hands. They pointed to a statement made in 2011 by the then shadow Agriculture spokesperson for Fine Gael , Andrew Doyle, now chair of the Oireachtas committee on Agriculture, where he said:

“Coillte must stay; forestry is at the heart of Ireland’s response to climate change”.

“Our vital national resources are not up for sale. National resources like forestry, agriculture and marine resources are held in trust for all the people of Ireland. Ministers are stewards of these resources and must return them to the people with benefits after their term in office. That includes the forests of Ireland”

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LARGE TURN-OUT EXPECTED AT PARNELL’S BIRTHPLACE TO OPPOSE SALE OF PUBLIC FOREST ESTATE

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Enough! Campaign, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
April 25, 2013

PROMINENT MUSICIANS, ACTORS AND POETS TO PERFORM IN AVONDALE WOODS ON SUNDAY APRIL 28TH

pbp-header-1The Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League are expecting a large turn-out this weekend for “A walk in the Woods” – A major event to protest against government plans to sell the harvesting rights to 1.1million acres of Ireland’s public forestry.

“A Walk in the Woods” will assemble at 1pm this Sunday April 28th in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. The event will feature songs, poems and readings from prominent musicians, actors and poets including:

Christy Moore (Musician), Paddy Casey (Musician), Jeremy Irons (Actor), Sinead Cusack (Actor), Dave Lordan (Award winning poet), Brid Ni Neachtain (Actor), Denis Conway (Actor & Director, Oroboros Theatre Co.), Landless (Folk Musicians), Larry Beau (Singer), Madu (North African Singers) & more.

The event will be addressed by event organisers, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, (Natural Resources Alliance) and Andrew St Ledger (Woodland League), and also, Senator Fiach Mc Chongail, Catherine Murphy TD and others.

Avondale Forest Park, now a Coillte Forest, is the Birthplace of Charles Stewart Parnell but was also the birthplace of modern Irish Forestry, originally planted by a relative of Parnell’s, Samuel Hayes – an author and early champion of Irish forestry.

A “Walk in the Woods” will include a walk through the Avondale Forest Park, with songs, poems, readings and speeches about Ireland’s forest heritage.

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Natural Resources Protection Alliance and Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes (CAHWT) to protest at water services conference in Dun Laoghaire, 1pm April 24th

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Enough! Campaign, EU-IMF Deal, Events, Household Charges, PBP-ULA
April 23, 2013

In a statement this afternoon, Richard Boyd Barrett TD announced details of a protest that will take place in Dun Laoghaire at 1pm on Wednesday, April 24th.

A conference is taking place in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday 24th April on the future of Irish water. It is unclear who is running the conference but it is sponsored by companies such as Ovivo and Bentley Infrastructure.

One of the keynote speakers at the conference will be Minister Fergus O’Dowd. Minister for New Era, who will be speaking on the Govenment’s progress on the reform of the water sector.

Attendance at the conference costs €400.

The Natural Resources Protection Alliance and CAHWT will hold a protest at 1pm at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.

Richard Boyd Barrett said,”The enormous cost of getting into this conference is a window to the future of Irish water. You need to be rich to talk about water”.

“Corporate vultures are circulating Irish water, aided and abetted by Minister Fergus O’Dowd, Minister for the sale of state assets”.

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Save Ireland’s Forests: A Walk in the Woods

Filed under: Current Campaigns, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
April 18, 2013

walk in the woods

Read the leaflet here: Walk in the Woods leaflet

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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, POLITICIANS, ARTISTS AND UNIONS URGE PUBLIC TO “WALK IN THE WOODS” AT PARNELL’S BIRTHPLACE TO OPPOSE SALE OF PUBLIC FORESTS

Filed under: Current Campaigns, Enough! Campaign, EU-IMF Deal, Events, PBP-ULA
April 18, 2013

PROMINENT MUSICIANS, ACTORS AND POETS TO PERFORM IN AVONDALE WOODS ON SUNDAY APRIL 28TH

IMG_4359At the Wolf Tone statue in Stephen’s Green, Dublin today, the recently established, Natural Resources Protection Alliance and the Woodland League announced details of “A Walk in the Woods” – A major event to protest against government plans to sell the harvesting rights to Ireland’s public forestry. (Please see leaflet attached)

“A Walk in the Woods” will assemble at 1pm on Sunday April 28th in Avondale Forest Park, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. A number of leading musicians, actors and poets will perform at the event including:

Christy Moore (Musician), Paddy Casey (Musician), Jeremy Irons (Actor), Sinead Cusack (Actor), Dave Lordan (Award winning poet), Brid Ni Neachtain (Actor), Denis Conway (Actor & Director, Oroboros Theatre Co.) & more.

The event will be addressed by Richard Boyd Barrett TD, (Natural Resources Alliance) Andrew St Ledger (Woodland League), Senator Fiach Mc Chongail, Catherine Murphy TD and a number of other environmental activists and politicians.

IMG_4372Avondale Forest Park, now a Coillte Forest, is the Birthplace of Charles Stuart Parnell but was also the birthplace of modern Irish Forestry, originally planted by a relative of Parnell’s, Samuel Hayes – an author and early champion of Irish forestry.

A “Walk in the Woods” will include a walk through the Avondale Forest Park, with songs, poems, readings and speeches about Ireland’s forest heritage.

The event has also been organised to coincide with the weekend of the “one million trees in one day” event which will take place on the same weekend to encourage public awareness about the importance of forestry.

The event organisers also intend to plant a native Irish Oak tree to commemorate Charles Stuart Parnell – who was known as the “Great Oak of Avondale”.

A walk in the Woods is also supported by: Sebastian Barry (Author), Stephen Rea, Catherine Murphy TD, Clare Daly TD, Joan Collins TD, John Halligan TD, Thomas Pringle TD, Paul Murphy MEP, Martin Ferris TD, Patrick Nulty TD, People Before Profit Alliance, Keep Ireland Open, Friends of the Earth, Unite Trade Union, SIPTU, United Left, Socialist Workers Party, Sinn Fein.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said, “The purpose of this event is to urgently ring the alarm bells and alert the public of the imminent threat to our public forests – an absolutely precious cultural, historical and economic asset. By involving musicians, actors and poets we want to highlight that this proposal to privatise our public forests is not just an act of economic theft but is also a shameful betrayal of our culture, our heritage and our history. It is beyond belief that we are being forced to sell our forests to pay the debts of bankers and bankers may end up owning our forests. It is an act of cultural and economic sabotage and must be stopped.”

Andrew St Ledger, PRO The Woodland League said, “Irelands Public forests belong to the grandchildren of Ireland and their grand-children, they should be managed wisely using a new community oriented model to ensure a future for the generations to come. This underhanded short-sighted plan to sell Public Forests must be stopped. In his poem, “A Culture is no better than its woods “, the poet W H Auden implied that a place without forests has no roots, no strength and no shelter.”

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