White doesn’t understand the water charge protests

I couldn’t help but be annoyed with the comments of Victoria White (Irish Examiner, November 6) regarding the Water charge protests. 

Her generalisation of the protesters as being anti-everything was an insult to all who exercise their right to do so. Her comparison of these protesters to being aligned to some “anarchist movement” was way over the top. These are ordinary people, of all ages and from all walks of life, who have had enough of being ripped off at every turn.

Austerity budgets over the last four years have brought many of these people and their families to their knees and this is just another conduit to funnel money into government coffers. Everyone is entitled to water, a necessary life source, and the thought of threatening to cut supplies to families if they can’t or won’t pay is a step too far. If this campaign was really about conservation, the amount of protesters would be considerably less, but this is about fleecing an already cash-strapped public. Water is already being paid for through general taxation. We are already fleeced through PAYE, PRSI, USC, VAT, VRT etc.