Join The Protest Against Shannon Arms Mass Eviction - 7.30pm, Wed, June 1st
Éirígí For A New Republic has announced the details of a second public protest in support of the residents of the Shannon Arms apartments who are facing mass eviction. The protest will take place outside the Shannon Arms building on Henry Street, Limerick, at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 1st.
Speaking ahead of the event, Philip Stokes of Éírígí Limerick said,
“Like the rest of Limerick, we in Éirígí stand with the 150 Shannon Arms residents as they face mass eviction from their homes.
It is completely unacceptable that many residents were only informed of the proposed eviction via email and that they have been subjected to a range of bully-boy tactics to get them out, including the changing of door locks.
This nightmare scenario for the Shannon Arms residents shows the depths that the housing crisis has now reached here in Limerick. Pure greed is responsible for this situation, with several landlords now conspiring with each other to take advantage of the crisis to rake in higher rents.
The first protest against the Shannon Arms mass eviction took place on May 2nd.
In conjunction with a number of residents we organised a first protest at the start of May to highlight and oppose this completely unjustified eviction.
Now, a month later, we are organising a second protest, not only against the eviction, but also to call for the Shannon Arms apartments to be brought into permanent public ownership under the control of Limerick City and County Council.
Bringing these homes into public ownership would give the current 150 residents, including a number of children, secure, long-term, affordable homes. And into the future, when the current residents have moved on, hundreds more people could enjoy those same benefits.
Universal Public Housing, which would be open to people from all income backgrounds, holds the key to permanently solving the housing crisis at a local and national level. Bringing the Shannon Arms into public ownership would represent a great first step in establishing UP Housing here in Limerick.
I’m inviting everyone from Limerick and further afield to join us at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 1st at the Shannon Arms building, Henry Street. Bígí linn and let's show our support for the residents.”