Cork communities to host anti-water-charge demonstrations today
Community protests will take place in Farranree, Knocknaheeny, Ballyvolane, Gurranabraher and at the South Gate Bridge in Cork city this evening calling for a mass boycott of water charges.
The protests are organised by the We Won't Pay campaign and will take the form of banners being unfurled at busy junctions with appeals made to motorists to honk their horns in support.
We Won't Pay organiser Cllr Mick Barry said this morning that the campaign is aiming to send out the message that people have the power to defeat water charges despite Government threats to introduce legislation allowing for attachment orders against wages and social welfare payments for unpaid water charges.
The campaign said that there are no penalties for boycotting the water charge until the summer of 2016 and that a mass boycott of water charges in the meantime has the potential to force the next Government to abolish the charge.
Cllr Barry said: "Revenue are not involved with collection of the water charge and there are no automatic deductions for nonpayers.
"If there is a high level of non-payment the next Government can be forced to abolish the charge long before any penalties or court cases for attachment orders could take place."
Water bills are expected to arrive en masse in Cork city sometime between now and June 3.
