The pumpkin enters politics

Small Print:Thirty-seven-year-old company director Richard O'Toole is keen to point out he has never protested publicly before in his life. Ever. He isn't a member of a political party, nor he is a known advocate for any group or cause. But he is angry and he has decided to turn his anger into a peaceful protest against Ireland's current economic predicament.

So, over the past few weeks he has been enlisting the help of family and friends and asked them all to gather at the gates of Leinster House on October 31st at 3pm. Given the time of year, O’Toole is asking everyone to bring along a pumpkin, with a candle inside, to create a spectacle. The plan then is for Ireland’s first ever public pumpkin protest.

What started out as a personal response to the details of the Government bank guarantee scheme some weeks back, has now gathered momentum, and close to 200 persons have confirmed online they will attend, while hundreds of others have got in touch.

“I’m part of the group who came out of school when the boom started so I’ve never known recession,” says O’Toole. “Three weeks ago, on the so-called ‘Black Thursday’, I was working in the UK and they couldn’t believe what was going on in Ireland. I said to myself, as one of the silent majority, what can we do? So I thought, with Halloween coming up, pumpkins would be the way to go.”

O’Toole says that in his view Irish people have not become angry enough about the current state of the country. He wants to provide an outlet for some positive anger, but is also quick to point out that the plan is for a family-friendly protest, and any violent behaviour (smashing pumpkins, for example) will not be tolerated.