Tonight a first blow was struck by An Spréach against the appalling housing crisis in Ireland.
The housing movement began by liberating an unused vacant unit in Tom Kelly Flats to house those in need, but plans were soon hampered by the agents of the state after they raided the flat and proceeded to arrest all inside.
All 8 activists were charged with ‘trespass’ and have since been released.
Social Housing is a Right! – No War but the Class War!
An Spréach Housing Action Committee.
On Sunday 29 June Housing Activist Organisation An Spréach supported by others liberated a perfectly habitable two bedroom flat in Tom Kelly Flats, Charlemont Street, Dublin 2.
The flat, like so many others, had been vacated and abandoned by Dublin City Council just like it did in many other social housing communities across the city, and country, in the name of regeneration. Regeneration that never came.
Abandoned despite the fact that there are 90,000 applicants languishing on the national housing list, almost 5,000 individuals and families subject to the Homeless Services, at least 154 people sleeping rough every night in Dublin, and close to 70,000 homes in serious arrears with approximately 30,000 of these with eviction notices pending, and a government introducing a new Housing Bill that will condemn 65,000 households to a life dependent on private landlords to address their housing needs to the tune of €500,000 per year for the tax payer, with no provision for rent caps or security of tenure.
As a consequence of this affirmative action eight housing activists were arrested during a huge Garda operation, detained in several Garda Stations and subsequently bailed hours later to appear in court on the 23rd of July on a charge of trespass.
For far too long the issues of housing and homelessness have been championed by professional “community activists”
They have had their day and failed miserably to impact positively on housing policy. For far too long we have sat back and let Local Elected Representatives build their political careers on “clientelism” by looking after those who will vote for them and have their family do the same.
Now is the time for another way.
An Spréach 
Fair play to ya’s !! pure scre tactics in operation !!
my unce used to live at the bottom row back in the late 80s. keep up the good work guys n gals.
councils should be ashamed with the lack of housing being made available to everyone. im sick to my back teeth of paying the landlords fkn dole, the real parasites in the country.
Reblogged this on seachranaidhe1.
… I once saw a squat where th people living there used a metal bed base and screwed it to th ceiling (using hinges) just inside th door,,, and with a bolt on th bottom that slotted into th floor. when lowered and locked it was very hard for intruders to enter. Keep up th good work,,, we need this to spread throughout th country!!!
Great work. Keep it up!!!