Protesters opposed to property tax protest at Westmeath council meeting

Protesters opposed to the property tax and water charges, took their campaign to the doors of Westmeath County Council’s offices in Mullingar on Monday - but the majority were told they could go just that far and no further.
“We cannot facilitate the numbers that’s here,” the council’s meetings administrator, Billy Coughlan, restricting entry to just three, told the group of approximately 12 who had massed at the council’s doors ahead of the county councillors’ March meeting.
The group comprised members of The People’s Voice and from the Campaign Against Home and Water Taxes, who, earlier this month, staged a similar protest at an Athlone Town Council meeting.
Eventually, four members of the protest group were granted admission. The first left during a discussion on a policy for rural Ireland, declaring in a loud voice before leaving: “Shame on the Irish Labour party for destroying rural Ireland,” and going on to criticise government for taxing savings.
The second protester, Mags Glennon, chairperson of the Mullingar CAHWT branch stood up a couple of moments later: “I don’t know if you are aware that 67 per cent of the public are opposed to property charges,” she said, and then left.
A third protester was asked to leave, and the fourth, John McNamara, of People’s Voice, stood up to describe the council’s planning practices as “a disgrace”.
“Why are our unfinished estates in the state they are in?” he asked.
“There needs to be a planning enquiry in Westmeath,” he said, declaring also, above the booing of the councillors that he would not leave the meeting until he was asked to do so.  He was asked to leave and then left.