Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

not the first attack on peaceful protest

category national | miscellaneous | news report author Wednesday May 08, 2002 18:23author by fuinseog

the following not mine, but extracted from comments in Irish Times survey at http://scripts.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/regularvote.cfm

"On behalf of Youth Defence, I would just like to say, WE TOLD YOU SO!!!

"Pearse Street Station appears to be a bit of a bad egg. On two seperate occasions over the past five years Youth Defence members participating in the weekly Street Information Sessions have been arrested and strip-searched in Garda custody at Pearse St. Whay were they searching for? Concealed liturature? Did the media voice our grievance? The IT in its early country edition showed photo of our protest but it was pulled from the city edition.

"Then there was the Adelaide Hospital melié where one of our members was hospitalised and nine arrested, only to be convicted and then for that conviction to be overturned.

"That particular day was a watershed for me. With aspirations then to become a garda I was shocked to see how at least forty gardaí could decend at the very end of an extremely peaceful protest and lash out with such vigour. And did the media covr it? Are you joking? They don't count, it's only Youth Defence. We were the ones accused of kicking and clubbing the Gardaí. The media only seem to believe the SWPs (reds) of this world.
Culchie, Wicklow

Comments (1 of 1)

Jump To Comment: 1
author by pjaypublication date Wed May 08, 2002 20:12author address author phone

you are right. but its untrue to say that it is only because we are reds. it happend before last november at the burlington. the police turned up at the end of a protest and mashed everyone, yet nothing was said in the media except that protesters where violent twords the police, but thankfully a few recient court cases arising from that event have been thrown out of court.

this is the time to demand true change in the police system. lets go down on them like a ton of bricks so the next time they are going to be afraid to touch us.

they deserve it



Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.