Dept of Finance barricaded by Occupy Dame Street protestors over €1.25bn Anglo payment
More photos:
Related Articles
Wednesday January 25 2012
OCCUPY Dame Street activists locked down the Department of Finance today in protest against the Government paying €1.25bn to unsecured bondholders.
Up to a dozen protesters have changed themselves together with special locking devices around the entrance of the department at Government Buildings.
Steven Bennett, spokesman for the movement, warned that it could take the Government and Gardai hours to cut through the locks.
He said the building could be shut down all day.
"We have been here since 6.30am this morning and we have a crowd of about 40 protesters," said Mr Bennett.
"We've used special locks that are kind of half-bells filled with concrete and other additives so it's going to take hours and hours, and special cutters to get through them."
The Government has insisted it will hand over the controversial payment to unsecured bondholders as part of its agreement to wipe the debts of the now defunct and nationalised Anglo Irish Bank.
The €1.25bn is one instalment of a total €6.3bn the Government intends to pay.
Gardai are at the scene, but there had been no early attempt to cut through the chains.
- Lyndsey Telford
