Revolt Against Property Tax 2013

Society

Thousands protest in Dublin city centre against austerity and the government plan to introduce a property tax.

As many as 5,000 people attend an anti-austerity march in Dublin city centre organised by the Socialist Party and People Before Profit (PBP) along with unions and local anti-property tax groups.

The protesters have come from as far afield as Waterford to protest against austerity in general, but property tax is their main concern.

Protesters gather at the General Post Office and march along O’Connell Street to Dublin Castle where European finance ministers are meeting.

Dublin Castle is cordoned off by An Garda Síochána and some streets closed, but apart from an attempt to burn a European Union flag there are few signs of trouble.

At Dublin Castle the anti-property tax campaigners wave red cards to register their anger at the Labour Party over its role in implementing the Fine Gael Labour coalition government policies.

A man who worked until he was 70 to pay for his house is furious to be taxed now that he owns his property,

I’ve no intention of paying property tax on that to bail out the bankers who have destroyed this country.

Another protester says the political parties in government have no mandate to implement a property tax.

A woman feels the coalition party leaders Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore have betrayed the electorate who voted for them. She believes this protest is only the beginning,

We’ve had enough, we’re not going away and we’re getting bigger by the day.

One of the organisers of the protest, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett thinks people have been pushed too far. In his view, the government and the EU/IMF/ECB troika are out of touch if they believe they can place a property tax and cuts on people already struggling to pay their mortgages and bills.