By Jack Nolan.

In the midst of the pandemic, and the ensuing global economic crisis in its aftermath, the
latent social and economic inequalities that have plagued Ireland, and indeed the wider
world, have been heavily accentuated by the onset of a grave cost of living crisis.
From the exorbitant costs of renting and attaining decent healthcare, to the shameful
proliferation of food and energy poverty among working people amidst inflation, it is
becoming abundantly clear that the free market post-Covid is providing a future that could
not be further from anything one could construe as “freedom”.

It is in contemplating this future that we begin to envisage both the opportunities and
outcomes that await a broad cohort of young people that will contribute to such a future,
third-level students. In doing this, we need look no further than the present to see how our
student population lives and studies; which for the most part is in a gravely inequitable
socioeconomic climate. The same struggles plague students in the current economic crisis,
with students facing an unparalleled rental crisis, inconceivably high fees to attend third-level
institutions, and a myriad of consequential social and economic hardships ranging from
insufficient wages at work, to coping with the basic costs of living as a student, or
student-worker.

A primary concern for those of us who are intent on addressing the grave inequalities
students face in third-level institutions, is making student activists and those
deeply-ensconced in the mechanisms through which student voice can practically effect
change, namely student unions and student media outlets, aware of the red-line issues that
are most adversely affecting the most vulnerable third-level students and student workers.
An example of this task coming to some fruition is the upcoming student walkout organised
by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in response to the rental crisis facing students in
Ireland at present, organised by their Vice President for Campaigns, Ross Boyd. Boyd,
taking to social media to outline the reasoning for the planned walkout, lays bare the reality
of the antipathy felt by students struggling to make ends meet:

“Students are sick of the same old crises of high rents, high fees, [and] high cost
barriers”

And rightly so.

Since the initiation of the Housing For All action plan, devised to tackle the
seemingly-unassailable housing emergency plaguing our nation’s most economically
vulnerable, rental costs have increased by 12.7%. Evictions have skyrocketed by 58%, many
of which being semi-legal and all of which being morally reprehensible. This grotesque
reality is creating a housing situation even more hostile and unstable than those that have
preceded it. Students are bound to suffer even more adversely than in previous years in
trying to secure stable, affordable and habitable accommodation for the upcoming academic
year.

However, these efforts will undoubtedly be marred by the concurrent expenses
accompanying their inequitable accommodation costs, the most unjustifiable of which
arguably being their fees simply to attend third-level institutions. These fees, which rank
highest in the European Union, exceed €3,000 for 3 in every 5 Irish students per annum. For
decades, students have sought a transition towards a universal, publicly-funded third-level
education system. Many accuse proponents of this model, particularly those with left-wing
motivations, as being greedy and impractical in their desires, despite the fact that this would
only address the tip of the iceberg for students experiencing financial difficulties. The
average cost of funding a third-level education in Ireland for four years in 2019 was €35,320,
which at the time left 40% of those who paid such fees in debt. The current period of
excessive inflation will not only increase this figure, but will erode the spending power of
ordinary students in trying to pay it.

This begs the question, how do we work to eradicate the inequalities faced by third-level
institutions, while also addressing the broader housing and cost of living crisis facing workers
and families in Ireland at present? The answer to any informed, realistic student activist
should be self-evident. Students need to be organised effectively and invasively to tackle the
demon that is educational capitalism head-on.

This means that student unions must act as mechanisms that make students as conscious
and impassioned as possible to make the link between the ongoing financial crises faced by
workers and families across the country, and the inequalities that face them in attaining an
education. Student unions must therefore endorse the sorts of radical actions taken in years
gone by by the trade union movement in achieving their goals, and co-opt these methods to
deliver on building a newer, more equitable, more accessible tertiary education sector for our
student body.

Cruss T. Anarcho Mc Professional Protester gives us a rundown of events so far at the Week of Action against Shell in Erris, Co. Mayo.

In the rural parish of Kilcommon in Erris, North Co. Mayo, many had come from all over Ireland and further afield still to resist the highly controversial Corrib Gas Project. A week of action has been called by Shell to Sea at Rossport Solidarity Camp in Aughoose for the week of 21st – 28th June.

The first direct actions of the Erris struggle against Shell took place 8 years ago when 6 locals were injuncted and then 5 of them jailed for refusing to allow Shell onto their lands. In the 8 years that have passed there have been countless direct actions, dozens of arrests, about two dozen jailings and hundreds of people attacked by Garda or Shell’s security company IRMS.

Local residents have been struggling for over a decade against an unsafe and environmentally unsound project which has been forced upon the community without their consent. Over €540 billion worth of oil and gas has been signed away by corrupt politicians in an unprecedented deal. The full resources and compliance of the State has been granted in shutting down protest and dissent in the area, at times resorting to extreme violence and brutality.

People of all shades of political background and none have gathered in Erris for the Week of Action against Shell, environmentalists, anarchists, republicans, socialists, hippies and punks, all united with the common purpose of stopping Shell’s destructive and dangerous profit-making project.

The atmosphere in the camp has been relaxing and welcoming, and a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm for actions of all kind is present.

On Saturday 22nd June, local residents and activists from Rossport Solidarity Camp took part in a mass direct action against a road down by the estuary that Shell needs to move haulage trucks into the estuary for construction. Bog mats were uprooted and left to be reclaimed by the sea, and sandbags used to hold back the tide were slashed and emptied. IRMS, Shell’s private security mercenaries, were only able to look on helplessly in the face of mass direct action.

On Sunday 23rd June, around 80 people gathered in front of the Shell’s Aughoose compound to watch Donal Kelly’s one-man play about the situation in Erris, before returning to the estuary to finish the job of ripping up Shell’s bog road. Eventually local residents and activists breached the outer compound by ripping down a perimeter fence. Security attempted to push people back out of the compound, but unable to respond in the face of mass direct action, IRMS were forced into an ignominious retreat to the inner compound, leaving protesters to do as they wished.

After a short time, protesters withdrew to the beach for the planned Strand Picnic, whilst Gardaí and Shell security watched, unable to intervene or make any arrests. A large amount of equipment was smashed during the action, including CCTV\spy cameras, generators, water pumps and pipes and a range of other construction equipment and supplies

Later that night, Shell’s Aughoose compound was once again decorated with anti-Shell graffiti and a number of security cameras were taken out of action.

On Monday 24th June, prosteters at the camp were taken on a tour of the Leenamore & Glengad compounds, enjoying the beautiful Mayo sunshine. A markedly increased number of police and security were observed on this day, including up to 35 Gardaí parked outside Aughoose Church, a few metres from the entrance to the camp, as well as officers from Special Branch.

Six activists in kayaks also successfully disrupted work by Shell’s survey boat on Sruth  Fhada Conn estuary.

On Monday night, a house used by Shell to house engineers working on the project spontaneously self-destructed, and further actions against security and surveillance cameras took place.

The week of action continues! People of all ages are welcome to come and join us at Rossport Solidarity Camp, Aughoose. A range of support work is also needed if you are not comfortable with potentially illegal direct action. The atmosphere in the camp is warm and welcoming, and every night is marked by music and fun events. Irish language classes have also been held, and people of all levels are welcome.

Join us in our resistance against Shell at Rossport Solidarity Camp!

Further reading: 

Anti-Shell campaigners watch play, trash compound, have picnic: www.indymedia.ie/article/103808

Shell to Sea: www.shelltosea.com

Workers Solidarity Movement portal about Rossport: www.wsm.ie/rossport

Shell face unexpected pirate threat on shallow estuary: www.indymedia.ie/article/103814

8 years of intense struggle against Shell continues this week in Erris: www.wsm.ie/c/intense-struggle-against-shell-erris