Ireland has just been identified as one of the most unequal countries in the EU regarding access to healthcare according to a joint report by TASC, FEPS and Trinity College.

“Without health and social measures that compensate for poor health, individuals are not able to fully participate in political and social life. The great importance of health is related to its value to all other life spheres. Not only do individuals have a right to health and well-being, but they also have manifold individual rights that are constrained in the case of poor health. From this perspective, health inequalities represent a particularly serious social injustice in modern societies” (‘Health Inequalities in Europe’) ... read full story / add a comment

Justin and Anne Morahan have started a petition to Pope Francis asking him to intervene in the case of Julian Assange. There have been recent reports of Julian's health deteriorating due to lack of light, fresh air, isolation (no visitors allowed). There are also rumours afloat that he may be removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and extradited to Mr Trump's United States where capital punishment is still in vogue. ... read full story / add a comment

Posted belatedly
Today (17th April), on the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners, more than 150 European trade unions, political parties, human rights organizations and faith groups from over 16 European countries issued a call urging the EU to uphold its legal responsibilities and exclude Israeli military companies from EU Framework Programs.

This call – accompanied by an explainer video – comes at a time when at least 35 unarmed Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli snipers during three weeks of protests at Gaza’s border with Israel. ... read full story / add a comment

(On 28 March the new Ecuadorian government and its President cut off all use of the internet from Julian and forbade him all future visitors. His friends have rallied and are asking all who care to protest and work on his behalf. The letter below explains itself) ... read full story / add a comment

This is a repost from the World Socialists Website now regularly censored by google and the headline catches the essence of how things are panning out today.

On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a notice outlining extraordinary plans by the social media company to monitor all the postings and messages of its users, censor independent journalism, and use artificial intelligence (AI) to report users to the police and intelligence agencies. ... read full story / add a comment

This interesting piece from Thierry Meyssan outlines the real plan behind the recent positive news about Rojava. It seems the empire has been selling the story of a wonderful democratic paradise about to be setup in Rojava when in fact the whole thing is a cover for the empire and once again shows how the Left have been used and subverted to promote their plans.

The discussion in France on where the French jihadists captured in Syria would be judged, is a clear example of a false debate. It is animated by a television presenter and journalist that hide their links to their listeners. The issue of where jihadists of French nationality will be tried is in fact intended to lay the groundwork for getting rid of those that can testify to France’s military role against Syria. Hoping that its allies accept it, France is preparing to recognize a pseudo State, under the name “Rojava”, following the model used in “Kosovo”. ... read full story / add a comment

The Luas Cross City is a boon for Dublin city but what does it mean for people who cycle along or across this route? Cycling and on-street tram tracks is a safety issue all over the world. In general cyclists learn fast, and realise that they must take greater care around the tracks, and ideally cross them at a large angle, while at the same time be aware of other surrounding traffic. ... read full story / add a comment

We carry below an official statement from the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, the leadership of the global BDS movement. The IPSC has called an emergency lunchtime protest against the move this Friday 8th December between 1pm and 2pm: ... read full story / add a comment

We are reposting this story due to its importance and the way it highlights the workings of the empire work

On July 14 this year a British man from the Manchester area named Benjamin Stimson, aged 41, a man the London Times called a “socialist” to add to his crimes, was convicted under the British Terrorism Act for “facilitating” acts of “terrorism” by serving with one of the Donbass Republic militias for four months in 2015, as an ambulance driver. ... read full story / add a comment

Protest against opening of new Scientology Europe HQ here in Ireland!

Saturday the 14th October @13.30pm,

CSI Centre(Victory Outreach), Firhouse Road, Tymon South, Dublin 24 ... read full story / add a comment

This article appeared as a guest article on the Saker Blog and is reproduced here to help draw attention to this issue.

August has been a month for exposing how the “Empire” works at the social media level, inside the activist communities and, in this case, through the social media movements aimed at defending Syria. Western governments have outlaid millions for this purpose and countless allied agencies are involved across various languages and media, from actual military personnel managing multiple fake characters [1], to other programs targeting online socio-political activism, even to the extent of online publications being created and “discovered” that appear as belonging to ISIS [2]. ... read full story / add a comment

The German minister of the Interior announced today (Fri 25th Aug) early in the morning that Indymedia Linksunten, a local German IMC, was declared illegal.

This seems partially as a result of the media coverage the site gave to the recent G20 protests in Hamburg that embarrassed the government on the world stage and for the crime of airing the grievance of the populace that they don't like predatory capitalism.

It comes also as the government faces into an election and that the entire political system shifts further to the right and all things Left are to be discredited such as free health or education, equality etc. Instead fear is the new norm these days and at the very same time when it is plain to see that practically all European governments are now simply vassals of the USA as evident in the way their foreign policies match in lockstep the dictates of the US war machine and the financial policies imposing austerity, privatisation and the stripping away of the social gains of the last century match those of the "Washington Neo-Liberal & Banking Parasitic" class.

... read full story / add a comment

Stand with the defendants, stand with Jobstown, stand with Tallaght. Send a clear message to the establishment politicians and the Gardaí - Tallaght is united in support of the protesters and the right to protest.

Please come to the Stand With Jobstown March - Saturday 6 May at 2pm.

Assemble: Swimming Pool (Jobstown) OR The Square Luas Stop
Both marches will come together in Jobstown ... read full story / add a comment

What is Latin America Week?

Latin America Week is a range of conferences, meetings, workshops and cultural events around Ireland, focusing on different issues each year in April. An annual programme of educational, cultural and campaigning events on issues relating to human, social and economic rights in Latin America. LAW began as Central America Week in 1986 in order to increase the impact of many separate campaigns and events being organised by a variety of groups. It became Latin America Week after its tenth anniversary in 1996. The overall aim of LAW is to concentrate the attention of the public on Latin America for one week, so as to highlight the justice issues at stake in the region and thus to facilitate campaigning and solidarity actions between Ireland and Latin America. ... read full story / add a comment

We would like to bring you news of an important conference entitled ‘International Law & the State of Israel: Legitimacy, Exceptionalism and Responsibility‘ set to take place in Cork between 31st March and 2nd April. We are asking for your support to ensure that this Conference will actually take place, as it is coming under severe pressure from those who would prefer that no critical academic discussion on the nature of the Israeli state, its foundation, its legacy, and its violations of international law and human rights abuses takes place. Period.

The conference is an important event with distinguished academic experts coming from all over the world taking part. This conference was prevented from taking place at Southampton University two years ago by the same pressure groups that are now busy trying to have it shut down in Ireland. It is endorsed by many famous and well-respected individuals, among them are: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ken Loach, Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, The Rt. Hon. Clare Short, Michael Mansfield QC, Judith Butler etc,. ... read full story / add a comment

The Strike for Repeal is a direct action that will take place on the 8th March 2017.

Our demand is that the Irish government call a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment by the 8th of March. If not, we will strike. ... read full story / add a comment

A kickstarter campaign plus a dedicated campaign of relentless annoyance by an activist has led to the CIA reluctantly releasing 13 million of their archived documents for public viewing on the internet. Releases from 1994 to 2016 are included. This translates as all documents from 1969 until 1989 They are released under Bill Clinton’s 1995 Executive Order 13526 instituted in 2006. One of the few good things he ever did.The Executive Order requires the declassification of non-exempt historically valuable records 25 years or older. These documents were previously only physically accessible from four computers at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland using the CIA Records Search Tool Get searching folks. It's a treasure trove!
... read full story / add a comment

The idea of abolishing high denomination banknotes is more and more present in political talks around the world. The European Central Bank already announced the death of the €uro 500, tomorrow it might be the Benjamin ($100). What is next? Why do our governments want to get rid of cash and why don’t we have a word to say about it? ... read full story / add a comment

GARDA CHIEFS and Scotland Yard commanders allowed British undercover policeman Mark Kennedy to spy on environmental groups in Ireland, including the Shell to Sea campaign in Mayo. Dublin Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan wants Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald to get some long-overdue and straight answers from her British counterpart when she meets Home Secretary Amber Rudd this month. ... read full story / add a comment

This press release was reported on the 3rd but it has only come to our attention recently and it is likely did not receive much coverage. Therefore we are posting it here.

In a frankly shocking move, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) had its bank accounts closed last week by Bank of Ireland without any proper explanation other than we no longer met their “risk appetite”.

It is a move which appears to be part of a campaign orchestrated by the Israeli government to silence organisations which support the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign which aims to pressure Israel until it ends its occupation of Palestine and adheres fully to international law ensuring freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people. ... read full story / add a comment