· Irish Examiner Headline “Gutter Journalism”
· Totally dishonest to suggest that defending right to protest is defending ‘abuse’
· An organised boycott of the bill will defeat charge and government
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy TD has today heavily criticised the Irish Examiner, defended the right of people to protest against the president and said that personal abuse should not be part of any protest.
Paul Murphy TD said:
“The Irish Examiner’s frontpage headline stating “TD defends Higgins abusers” is a disgraceful hatchet job from the school of gutter journalism. In my opinion, it is in breach of Principle 1 ‘Truth and Accuracy’ of the Press Council’s Code of Practice. In my interview with journalist Shaun Connolly, who did not write the headline, I clearly defended protesters’ right to protest, but criticised the personal abuse. That is not reflected in the headline, which is designed to damage me and the anti-water charges movement. I have contacted the Irish Examiner for a correction and apology and will make a complaint to the Office of the Press Ombudsman if it is not forthcoming.
“I fully defend the right of people to protest against any political figure they want, including the President. I criticised any abuse of a personal nature against the president. Abuse of this nature is not helpful to the anti-water charges movement.
“However, the position of the president is a political position. The Presidential election is clearly a political election. People had illusions in the president that he would not sign into law the water charges, or would delay them by calling a Council of State. This belief was fed by political statements which the president often makes which are critical of austerity measures and in defence of human rights and because of the mass movement of people who had clearly rejected the water charges.
“In April, the first water bills will be delivered around the country and a new and decisive phase of the struggle will open up. Protests need to be part of a strategy to defeat the charge. The strategy which will defeat it and the government is mass non-payment of the bills. People rightly feel angry about the bills and austerity and should use that energy to organise their neighbours, friends, and communities for an organised boycott.”
ENDS