Day 43 of hunger strike outside the Dáil

by mOuse Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:32

There seem to be multiple convergences on the Dail during the course of the week.
This includes PANA and Tarawatch.

Whilst using loudhailers and the everpresent barricading, I would like to remind
people that a man sitting outside the pedestrian entrance of the Dail is on his
forty-fourth day of hunger-strike and is unwell. He probably would disagree with
me, given his vocal anger. But he is recognisably debilitated and in need of solidarity.

Children, in school groups who have visited the Dail have teased him and told him to
"eat, for fucks sake". The adults supervising the Tara protest may like to supervise the kids
closely. As to Pana, Peter Preston represents a failure in Irish society to give community
support to a single person. Legal forms were tampered with and articles removed.
The story is on the newswire, standing near an ill man screaming the odds will not help.

The fight we take on is an abstraction in human terms to Mr Preston.

His daughter was deprived of emergency services after a vicious assault by a known
criminal. He is doing the hunger-strike to force the issue of corruption as
all protest groups are, yet few of you have spoken with the man or offered him
solidarity.

Treat your protesting with focus and application and have the sense to treat that
man with the dignity he deserves.

by mOuse Tue Jul 04, 2006 20:17

Peter cannot leave his tent. He is not sitting in the usual place with the
sign accusing Joe Costello. He is inside the tent. The board marking the day 44
is not in evidence. He will see a doctor for medical assessment, but does not intend to
give up the hunger -strike. He was not wearing a top today to show the weight loss.
He thanks the indy and revolt journalists who are recording the situation in which he finds himself.
he is aware of what will happen to him and refuses to go off the strike. He re-iterates that he has stated that he will not allow medical interference or force-feeding and has signed a statement to this effect.

by Chris Murray. Tue Jul 04, 2006 22:35

A video interview of Peter will be coming soon.

Someone from the parlimentary labour Party asked the Gardai to call an ambulance for
Peter today. (from the secretarial pool) Peter agreed, as he has been having dizzy spells
and can't stand up. The paramedics asked him if he would agree to medical monitoring,
He said yes. They told him that he must go to a hospital for medical monitoring and he refused.
He said that they refused him monitoring and treatment unless he went in the ambulance. The ambulance left. There will be a doctor who is aware of his situation and wishes coming to monitor him tomorrow, in the morning.

Physically. he has lost a lot of weight in the last ten or eleven days.
his hands are noticeably yellow and he cannot put up his signs as he will not leave his
tent and there is no-one to mind them on his behalf.

He states that he will not leave the tent and that the people he wanted to know of his plight knew
now and he would not come off the hunger strike until Michael mc dowell made a public statement saying that he would investigate the issues surrounding the removal and altering of evidence from the files in connection to the civil case. which his daughter undertook.

There is a small chair for supporters to sit on and family members are there daily.

by Madam K Wed Jul 05, 2006 01:23

Peter this evening refusing to leave his place of vigil outside the Dail, despite growing concerns for his health.

.

.

.

by mOuse Mon Oct 09, 2006 17:05

There is a siege in Galway.
A hundred families have been re-housed.
The man is in his forties.
His partner and child are out and safe.
There were some shots fired.
Hotels are helping.
the man has two legally held firearms.

Peter is Preston is recovered and campaigning again.
Korea had nuclear tests, the US will need a lot of war-ships soon.

The siege in Roscrea ended peacefull at the end of summer.
No word as to the Emergency repsonse unit-though I hear that the personnel have
changed since Abbeylara.

by Starvin' Marvin Mon Oct 09, 2006 17:09

Look at that photograph carefully. Now think: does that look like someone who has been on hunger strike for 43 days?

by mOuse Mon Oct 09, 2006 17:20

Having met with Peter during and , recently , after the hunger strike. There was a very definite
change in his colouration. He was yellow, especially in the hands and arms and
had lost weight-to the point of having to contact the GP who tended the hunger-strikers
in St Pats.

He was ill for a week in hospital and is well again.
Indymedia.ie gave him a voice.
your own opinion is your own.
Peter is now campaigning outside Dail Eireann

having recovered both from a hunger-strike and proximity to the bold
Minister Mc Dowell. I have yet to hear how that meeting went......

btw:- he's kind of pink now-a far healthier colour.

by Marvin Mon Oct 09, 2006 17:22

Preston claimed to be on hungerstrike for 70 days. He wouldnt just be a bit yellow if that was true.