Students staged a protest in sub-zero temperatures outside Anglo Irish Bank in Galway yesterday over the deal agreed by the Government with the IMF and the ECB, writes Lorna Siggins.
The group from the Galway branch of the Free Education for Everyone group also attempted to occupy Anglo’s premises, but were prevented by private security. Gardaí monitoring the demonstration said the event was peaceful. Galway group spokesman Joe Loughnane said the protest was being held in solidarity with workers and in opposition to the bank bailouts.
A GROUP of students protested yesterday at Anglo Irish Bank in Galway city, calling for a bailout of students and workers rather than bankers.
Organiser Joe Loughnane of Free Education for Everyone (FEE) said the protest was being held by third level students in solidarity with workers. They were particular angry that the Pension Reserve Fund had been “given away” in the deal done with the IMF and the ECB..
“We are demanding a general election before the Budget. The austerity package attacks the most vulnerable while refusing to hold those who created the crisis responsible,” he said.
Calling for an end to ”cronyism and corruption”, Mr Loughnane claimed the government plan would “halt access to education in the coming years and depreciate the country’s great resource–its people”.
