Billy Bragg lends support to Occupy Cork

The protesters at Occupy Cork received a boost on Tuesday when singer and activist Billy Bragg took the time to visit the camp and play for the people gathered there.

Last night the group of protesters spent their twelfth night sleeping outside in the tents they have set up on the South Mall.

The English singer played a sold out gig in Cyprus Avenue on Tuesday night, but also played a number of songs included ‘There is power in a union’.

During the song, he said: “If people eventually want to change the world they have to organise, just as these people are doing here. First time I ever came to this town, I played a gig in James Connolly Hall, and that’s the tradition in Irish history that we are tapping into; a tradition of internationalism, trade unionism and passionate socialism.”

Mr Bragg told The Cork Independent that he is very encouraged by Occupy Cork and the young people who are involved. “This generation has been dismissed as being interested in politics but that’s not the case. A few weeks ago I was involved in a campaign against the British National Party (BNP) and most people were under 25, as they are here.

There is a new generation of motivated people who are trying to change things and they are doing it without having to call upon a handbook of communism. They are doing it in a completely different way. They are organising in the same way that James Connolly used to organise.

“They are not tied up in ideology and not interested in what Lenin might do!” he laughed.

He also praised the non-violent, no-drugs and no-alcohol policy of all the Occupy Together movements.

“They are not interested in destroying,” he said. “After the riots in London, the real anarchists were the people who turned up the next day to clean things up, not the people who were causing trouble.”

“These people (at Occupy Cork) have the opportunity to articulate a new way,” he added. “And the people here have something they don’t have in Dublin or Galway – grass!” he laughed.

Protester Liam Mullaney described Billy Bragg’s visit as a “great boost”.

“He came down around 5pm and played a song for us. He has a long history of political activism and political songwriting, so it was good to have him here.

“He put a few of us on the guestlist and spoke about us when he was onstage,” he added.

The protestors have a program of events and protests lined up for the weekend and beyond. The group will hold another march this Saturday at 3pm. “It will be theatrical,” he says, “with some people dressed up as Robin Hood”.

They are starting to focus on the bank bond bailout that is taking place next Wednesday. On Friday they will deliver 5,000 flyers to people all over Cork protesting the payout. They will also start to protest the Universal Household Charge.

For more on the Occupy Cork movement see www.corkindependent.com/blog.