#RaiseTheRoof.
A protest organised by the Take Back The City group gathered several thousand protestors, including several TDs and Senators.
The protest, named #RaiseTheRoof by the group, involved large-scale peaceful sit downs outside of important government buildings, including Dáil Éireann, the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance. The civic action resulted in a closure of Dublin Bus routes along the affected streets.
TDs like Ruth Coppinger voiced their support for the direct action on social media.
Massive turnout at #RaiseTheRoof
We need to have Saturday mobilisation now to further rock government to build public homes. Great to meet so many SUs today #dubw pic.twitter.com/sbonER6CrB— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) October 3, 2018
Thousands of students unable to make it onto Molesworth Street for what must be biggest lunchtime protest in years. #RaiseTheRoof #HomesForAll #dubw pic.twitter.com/srbN5H3A0f
— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) October 3, 2018
Molesworth St filling up for housing protest #RaisetheRoof #TakeBacktheCity pic.twitter.com/USbjqhED3U
— Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) October 3, 2018
Today’s march comes ahead of a motion to be debated in the Dáil tonight that would call for a state of emergency to be declared around Ireland’s housing market.
The motion has enormous cross-party support, including Labour, People Before Profit, Social Democrats, Greens, several Independents and Fianna Fáil. With Fianna Fáil set to vote against the government, it appears that the motion will be a major defeat for Fine Gael.
The motion has further support from the National Housing and Homeless Coalition, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and other housing activist groups and NGOs.
According to TD Richard Boyd Barrett, tonight’s motion will call for “a doubling of the budget for direct build of public and affordable housing; an end for evictions into homelessness; a declaration of a national housing and homelessness emergency; the insertion of a right to secure affordable housing into the constitution and for real rent controls that will make rents affordable.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
