Lessons learned for Bush visit protests

national | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Sunday May 09, 2004 22:08 by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland info at antiwarireland dot org 087 1258325

Unpublished article on May Day events

[The following article was submitted to the Irish Times last Wednesday. The paper decided against publishing it.]

Lessons learned for the Bush visit protests

By Fintan Lane

The anti-EU demonstration on the Navan Road last Saturday evening was instructive in many ways. I attended to give expression in a tangible manner to my dissatisfaction at the current direction of the EU, in particular its tendency towards militarism and its shoddy treatment of immigrants, not to mention the direct participation of a number of member States in the US-led invasion of Iraq. In my opinion, Ireland has questions to answer in all these areas and my participation was also, and unabashedly, an expression of anti-government sentiment. I was exercising my democratic right to articulate dissent through peaceful protest.

I also attended because, as an organiser of the protest scheduled to greet George W. Bush when he lands at Shannon Airport on June 25th, I was curious to observe how the Garda behaved in the wake of much shrill speculation in the media, and elsewhere, regarding the expected participation of ‘anti-globalisation’ activists from outside the State. The Garda Commissioner had predicted the arrival of several hundred troublemakers, mainly from Britain, while some elements of the tabloid press repeatedly forecast serious mayhem.

So, with non-violent intent and a desire to make my voice heard, I joined more than 2,000 people of like-mind outside the GPO at 6pm last Saturday and we made our way towards the Phoenix Park via a circuitous route that eventually brought us to the Navan Road. A formidable Garda operation, involving thousands of gardai, had swung into action earlier in the day and the quays were effectively closed off, thus necessitating this lengthy detour across the north of the city. It was a good-humoured procession and diverse in composition. Nobody seemed particularly discommoded by the long trudge.

A heavy Garda presence was noticeable from the outset and as we approached the edge of the Phoenix Park we found our way blocked by lines of yellow-jacketed police. At this stage a small group at the front, acting in a spirit of non-violent civil disobedience, decided to push against the Garda lines to indicate, in a symbolic way, their displeasure at the curtailment of our right to protest. The Garda resisted. As this was happening, a stick, a few crumpled beer cans, and, apparently, a bottle were hurled in the direction of the gardai by no more than three or four individuals standing well back from front line.

This was the cue for a well-planned and professionally executed Garda action. The yellow-jacketed gardai were replaced instantly by lines of riot police and a water cannon was wheeled forward. Almost immediately the hoses began to soak marchers indiscriminately and over the subsequent hour or two the gardai deployed standard anti-riot techniques in a professional and disciplined manner, effectively dispersing many of the demonstrators and driving the remainder back as far as O’Connell Street.

It was a set-piece anti-riot manoeuvre by the gardai, complete with feigned baton charges and copious use of the water cannon. In fact, all that was missing was the riot. There was no riot. And it is this that concerns me. The Garda last Saturday dispersed a largely peaceful and good-humoured demonstration, soaking many people, including myself, in the process. Why?

Well, in truth it was difficult not to feel practised on. Yes, some empty beer cans and other items were thrown at gardai, but by no more than half-a-dozen isolated individuals – and not 20 or more as reported in some quarters - and in other circumstances these people would have been arrested and simply carted off. There was no confrontational or menacing attitude emanating from the crowd and leading members of the Dublin Grassroots Network (DGN), the main organisers, intervened to calm down belligerent individuals. Subsequent media coverage included photographs of one or two people kicking riot shields, but these were singular events.

What happened before and during the Navan Road demonstration is worrying in the lead-up to the Bush visit for two principal reasons.

First, the negative attitude towards protesters who come from outside the State is likely to be repeated prior to the anti-Bush protests. In truth, this indicates an odd refusal to accept the international nature of these issues. Why shouldn’t French, German and British citizens come to Dublin to join in protests against the direction of the EU? Likewise, why shouldn’t some of those millions across Europe and beyond who have marched against the war on Iraq come to Ireland to continue their protest against the warmongering of the Bush administration? As it happens, Anti-War Ireland, a national alliance of anti-war groups, will be explicitly asking people from outside the State to come to Shannon on the evening of Friday, June 25th to ‘unwelcome’ President Bush as he arrives on Irish soil. Do these concerned citizens of the world now run the risk of being caricatured as ‘foreign troublemakers’?

Secondly, non-violent anti-war demonstrations at Shannon Airport have always met with a strong Garda presence. Anti-War Ireland plans a peaceful demonstration on June 25th, but so too did DGN last Saturday and the right to protest was literally washed from the streets of our capital city. Was this a dry – or wet – run for the Bush visit? Should peaceful demonstrators expect more of the same on June 25th and 26th when they raise their voices against the scourge of war and imperialism?

One thing is certain: the Government does not want large-scale protests during the Bush visit and there will be a massive security operation. Moreover, a campaign of scaremongering about ‘foreign anarchists’ and other malcontents is almost certainly on the cards. And, with last Saturday in mind, I’ll be bringing my umbrella to Shannon, sunny day or not.

[Dr Fintan Lane is a historian and convenor of Anti-War Ireland, a national alliance of anti-war groups.]