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Dublin Mayday Update Report (wed/thurs)

indy travelling circus | 29.04.2004 12:02 | May Day 2004 | Globalisation | London

Quick updates from Dublin...




Pic 1 - Dublin Grassroots network Photo/presscall
Pic 2 - Bomb scare in Dublin

A demo has been called for 6pm tonight in solidarity with the three uk people arrested:
 http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64650

Last night two foreign nationals were detained for a few hours at a police station after being stopped for an ID check on the streets, despite having passports and bank cards which they had produced on request while still on Dame St.

Brendan Flanagan, the officer in charge of Pearse St Station, confirmed that the men were detained while their details were being verified. The situation is really and pretty outrageous as both men produced their passports and bank cards

This leads one to believe that the 2 men were detained as part of ongoing garda harrasment and intimidation against anti-fortress-eu protesters. The irony is that it is this very type of curbing of civil liberties that people are protesting against.

There was also a bomb scare / non event yesterday, which many feel is all part of the strategy of tension. See pics at:
 http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64652

Also yesterday a dublin grassroots network press call was held in the middle of the town on a busy shopping street - at least four tv cameras attended, interviews were made and several press photographers pitched up. See Pics:
 http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64651

The massive Phoenix park which contains farmleigh house (where the eu delegate dinner etc will be held) will be fully closed to the public from saturday evening (6pm) - there's been big fences, barbed wire and security cameras errected over the last few days. There will also be lots of road closures, some related to the official enlargement events, others to the planned protests.

The Another Europe Is Possible socialist / left march on saturday afternoon was due to finish with a rally with music in the park but this has been cancelled by the police - it seems thought that they will be allowed to march to Heuston Train station where they intend to hold their speaches + music at around 2.30pm. This is just over the river from where the main saturday protest will gather at 6pm for the noise protest, following smaller actions in the morning and afternoon.

It's been announced at the Dublin Grass Roots Network media group meeting last night that Mountjoy Square (NOT the Indymedia Centre) will be the gathering point in case of a real crisis on the streets. Basically if everything goes pear-shaped people will need somewhere to go that is familiar, not easy to seal off, and not too isolated. The Square itself can of course be closed, but the streets are wide and there is little traffic.

Oh yeah and this morning the Gardia were showing off two of their borrowed water cannons at a press call - still awaiting to hear if anyone got any info out of them about their rules of engagement for the water cannons.

The programme of events at the indymedia centre continues today, with tomorrow seeing the corporate media invited in for a few hours as well as several press conferences from those involved in the various protests. The critical mass starts off tomorrow at 5.30pm.

That's it for now, more later.

indy travelling circus