Council meeting disrupted by ‘Blair arrest’ protester
Activist Kate O’Sullivan, 24, from Mahon, Cork, who tried to perform a citizen’s arrest on Mr Blair in Dublin in September, interrupted a meeting of Cork City Council to demand councillors debate the bailout. It followed a failed attempt by Sinn Féin earlier to secure a debate on the bailout and its impact on local authority funding.
The meeting was discussing an economic report when Ms O’Sullivan, who was supported by about seven people in the public gallery, interrupted.
The Lord Mayor immediately adjourned the meeting. He and about 14 councillors left the council chamber.
Ms O’Sullivan accused them of “scurrying like rats”.
“You’re walking away from the people who elect you, who pay your wages.
“Shame on you,” she shouted. “I’m not leaving until you come back. You’re hiding like small school children away from the people who voted you in.
“Are you going to come back and face the people? Fine, we’ll come out. Shame on you, shame on you, shame on you.”
She then led the group in a sit-down protest at the chamber door. Following talks between the protesters and councillors, including Sinn Féin’s Jonathan O’Brien and Socialist Party’s Mick Barry, the meeting resumed with a debate on the bailout.
Cllr Chris O’Leary (SF) called on the Government to refuse to accept the bailout.
Cllr Sean Martin (FF) attacked some councillors “who haven’t come up with a creative idea in years” of engaging in cheap politics and of playing to the gallery.
During an emotional contribution, Cllr Thomas Gould (SF) said people have to stand up and be counted.
“We stand here tonight on the brink of the most savage budget in the history of the state. If we’re going to get out of this, we have to stand together. I believe in the Irish people. We will come back, but not under this proposal,” he said.
Cllr O’Brien tore up Brian Lenihan’s 2009 budget speech in which he said the nation had “turned the corner”.
“The only corners they’ve turned are into blind alleys.
“The only way out is out the front door of Leinster House.”
Dr Aodh Quinlivan, a lecturer at UCC’s Department of Government, was in the public gallery with about 35 politics students on a study trip. He said, while the protest provided some theatre and light entertainment, he would tell his students that there are more appropriate ways to make a point.
“It highlights the need for people to get politically involved and to change things from the inside,” he said.
