"Serious consequences" for demonstrators outside Israeli Embassy

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Tuesday June 08, 2010 11:31

by Raymond Deane - IPSC (personal capacity)

The Irish state shows its hand (or fist)

Demonstrators outside the Israeli Embassy in Dublin were unceremoniously shown what Brian Cowen means by "serious consequences" should Israel harm Irish citizens - the Israeli Embassy will be protected, Irish citizens will be pushed around.

On the morning of 8th June, for the first time in over half a century on this earth, I was manhandled by members of An Garda Síiochána. This was in the course of a peaceful Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy, when it was suddenly announced that the Gardaí were going to corral us behind a barrier in accordance with the Public Order Act, 1994. Given that we had been circulating before the Embassy for some two hours without any interference from Gardaí, there can be no doubt that this order came from "on high", perhaps from the Department of Justice in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

I'm not putting myself forward as a martyr here, nor am I indulging in overstatements about police brutality: there were no batons, tasers or tear-gas involved. Nonetheless, Gardaí - in disproportionate numbers - enforced compliance in a muscular manner that entailed seizing citizens by the scruff of the neck and pushing them away from the vicinity of the Embassy of a rogue state that has perpetrated an act of war against this country by hi-jacking an Irish-flagged ship in international waters. One elderly man (more elderly than myself, that is) was pushed to the ground and sustained bruises.

As a consequence of this uncalled-for action, a demonstration that was just about to fizzle out came back to life. Pembroke Road between Ballsbridge and Baggot St remained closed to traffic, while motorists passing in both directions along Northumberland Road and Pembroke Road (east) demonstrated their solidarity by prolonged tooting of their horns. So just what were the Gardaí trying to accomplish? Clearly this was an example of the Irish state showing its fist, and asserting its solidarity with Israel against Irish citizens' deep-seated and increasing solidarity with the dispossessed and brutalised Palestinians.

What this incident clarifies is that when Taoiseach Brian Cowen spoke of "serious consequences" should Israel harm Irish citizens, he was referring to serious consequences for those who continue to protest against the ongoing spineless and venal alliance between EU member states and the Israeli rogue state. I believe it is now up to Irish citizens to display their contempt for that state and their disgust at the Irish state's complicity with it by demonstrating outside the Israeli Embassy every day until the Israeli Ambassador is expelled.