Irish Civil rights at Anti War demo attacked
by Joe Carolan,


Civil rights in Dublin city have again come under
attack for the third time in two weeks, when the Irish
police force, the Gardai, drove paddy wagons into an
anti war march as it attempted to take to the streets.
The demonstration of about 300 people had just
finished a loud but peaceful protest at the U.S.
embassy, where they were addressed by John Gormley- TD
for the Green Party, Joe Higgins- TD for the Socialist
Party and Kieran Allen, editor of Socialist Worker,
amongst others.

Speakers condemned the bombing of Kharom in
Afghanistan where over 200 villagers have died from
Allied attacks. Speakers from the campaign to end
sanctions in Iraq told of the 6000 children that die
each month because the US and UK forbid medical
supplies to get through. A speaker from Residents
against Racism condemned the racist nature of the war,
and argued for solidarity with Ireland's Muslim
community in the face of racist attacks on the streets
and arson threats to Dublin's mosques. The use of
police baton charges on peaceful anti-privatisation
protestors the Wednesday before at the Burlington
hotel was also condemned, with Kieran Allen from
Socialist Worker making the point that Western
governments were using the events of September 11 to
curtail our civil rights and liberties. He warned
that Bush, Blair and indeed the Irish government were
trying to criminalise protest, and brand those opposed
to war, privatisation or globalisation "terrorists".

Because of the support and participation of Tony
Blair's government in the attacks and bombings,
protestors applauded the suggestion to take the
demonstration up to the British embassy, which was a
ten minute walk away. People began assembling on the
road, and banners were taken out. Suddenly, a line of
Gardai formed in front of us, and told people to get
off the road. Kieran, through the microphone,
reminded them that we had the constitutional right to
assembly, portest and to march to the British embassy.
He was then physically set upon by two gardai.

Nearby paddy wagons drove dangerously into the crowd,
and the front of the demonstration was rushed by Garda
reinforcements. Kieran was flung into the paddy
wagon,
as the crowd roared "peaceful protest!" and "shame!".
Anonther protestor, Donal, was reminding people that
we had the legal right to march and protest on the
streets of Ireland, when he was pulled and choked by
another three Gardai. He was visibly physically
manhandled in front of the demonstration, as hundreds
of people shouted "Garda brutality- no way! Our
civil rights are here to stay!". I saw a woman being
physically choked by Gardai, as they attempted to
fling more people into the van. The paddy wagon drove
off, again dangerously through the crowd around it, to
nearby Donnybrook Garda station.

People voted with their feet and walked through police
lines and around the remaining paddy wagons. As the
Dublin police helicopter hovered overhead, and police
reinforcements flanked us, we marched on the British
embassy as was our democratic right. Our deep disgust
at Tony Blair's hypocrisy and participation in
terrorist bombing of Afghan civilians echoed
throughoout the affluent, leafy suburbs. Passing cars
honked their support as hundreds of voices insisted
"Afghanistan needs...Food not Bombs!"

But many were now concerned of the attack by the
police, and a lecturer from Maynooth University
reminded the police how baton charges on Civil rights
protestors in Derry on the 5th of October 1968,
sparked a mass movement that nearly toppled the
corrupt Northern Irish state. He argued we were now
witnessing the same attacks on our rights on the
streets of Dublin. In an impressive display of
solidarity, most of the 300 protestors outside the
British embassy then marched on Donnybrook police
station, and with arms linked and in lines of four,
again asserted our rights to march on the streets of
Dublin. By this stage, the Irish media had arrived in
force, and the police notibly retreated.

The march arrived at Donnybrook strong, loud and
confident. A mass picket was placed on the police
station, which drew the attention of hundreds of
passerbys, including the dozen or so mustachioed
members of Ireland's secret political police, the
Special Branch. After about an hour of assertive
chants in defence of civil rights and the right to
protest, Kieran and Donal were released charged with
offences under Section 6 of the Public Order Act. As
people jubilantly cheered, both insisted that they
would continue to build the anti capitalist and anti
war movement, and that a key test of our civil rights
in Dublin would be the rally against the war at the
Dail this Tuesday at 6.30pm. The anti war movement in
Dublin is mobilising for a massive turn out, to show
our Government that US bombers are not welcome on
Irish soil, and that the majority of Irish people
rejected government attempts to further involve us in
military alliances with the resounding No vote to the
Nice treaty. We will also be standing up for our
civil rights against a police force that is
increasingly being seen as short tempered, heavy
handed and contemptuous to the constitutional rights
of Irish citizens to protest.

ALL OUT AGAINST THE WAR
6.30 pm
Rally at Dail Eireann, Kildare Street, Dublin
THis Tuesday 16th October

FOR OTHER REPORTS FROM IRELAND FOLLOW THESE LINKS

Dublin Anti-War Protests 2 Arrests
 http://uk.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=13909&group=webcast
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More Dublin Anti-WAR Protest Pics
 http://uk.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=13910&group=webcast
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Dublin Anti-War Demo 2 arrested Video
 http://uk.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=14043&group=webcast
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CALL FOR ANTI WAR MOVEMENT IN BELFAST
 http://www.uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=13395&group=webcast