Five thousand marchers gathered at Galway Cathedral to protest against Ireland’s unpayable €64bn bank debt burden and its effect on wages, jobs and public services in the West. The march was led by Seamus Dillon, chair of SIPTU’s Galway District Committee and a worker in the county’s mental health services. Seamus was followed by a large SIPTU party made up of workers from both public and private sector and their families, other trade union delegations, community organisations, political groups and members of the public.
The march moved to the city’s historic Spanish Arch along Shop Street and Quay Street, where passers-by applauded the protest. Musical entertainment at the event was provided by Niall Teague and the Fast Company before protesters listened to a hard-hitting speech by Padraig Mulligan of the Galway Council of Trade Unions, warning local politicians to change course on austerity or face the wrath of the people at the next election. Elaine Harvey of SIPTU’s community sector, Gráinne Lynch from the Galway People’s Resource Centre, Margaret O’Riada of the Galway Traveller Movement and Toni-Ann Dees, a student psychiatric nurse, also spoke.
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