.jpg)
The demonstration is due to begin at 2:30pm on Saturday, November 12th, at the swimming pool plaza on Rathmines Road.
UCDSU will be meeting at the Student Centre ahead of the demonstration at 1:30pm, with students travelling from campus to the protest.
When speaking with the University Observer about the protest’s aims, UCDSU President Molly Greenough said “Unfortunately the Government did not address many of the core demands of the Cost of Living Coalition in the recent Budget, so the fight for meaningful change and implementation of measures to address the Cost of Living crisis remains the aim of the demonstration. The Coalition wants to put money back into the pockets of those impacted by the cost of living crisis and Government inaction, whether for students, workers, pensioners, single parents, people with disabilities, and more. Tomorrow’s demonstrations across the country are the continuation of September’s march and the building of a mass mobilisation of people from all walks of life to demand better and stand in solidarity with all those impacted by the cost of living crisis.”
This demonstration, as laid out by Greenough, is in response to the previous Cost of Living Coalition demonstration’s demands not being acknowledged in the 2023 Budget. These demands included rent cuts, increases to wages and student financial assistance, the building of affordable student housing, and the abolishment of the student contribution charge.
When asked why students should be paying attention to this campaign, and demonstrating with the SU this Saturday, Greenough went on to say “We know that the Cost of Living crisis is having immense impacts on students and their educational and overall student experience, perhaps best demonstrated by Ireland’s extortionate fees and the ongoing accommodation crisis. We also believe that it’s important for students to stand in solidarity with other groups impacted by the cost of living crisis. Far too often, groups are pitted against each other when it comes to issues such as these, but in reality we are all victims of the same Government’s failure to tackle these issues.”
UCDSU will be demonstrating in Rathmines from 2:30pm on Saturday, and a full list of locations hosting Cost of Living Coalition demonstrations can be found on their Instagram (@ucdsu).