Civil liberties infringed by Garda powers - campaigners (1 Viewer)

[pete]

A Civil liberties lobby group are calling on the Government to halt a recent proposal to extend the powers of gardai under the Public Order Act. The group are launching a campaign to highlight the increased use of the Act claiming that it is being widely used on individuals engaged in peaceful political and protest activity.

Representatives of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL), the Irish Anti-war movement, and Trinity Law Professor Ms Ivana Bacik told a press conference today that the Public Order Act is increasingly being used to arrest political activists.

The group cited the case of Mr Kieran Allen a member of the Irish anti-war movement who was fined following a protest outside the British Embassy. During the course of the trial, Gardai claimed that Mr Allen breached Section 6 of the Public Order Act while giving a speech calling for "strong and militant resistance". Mr Allen was found guilty of being in breach of the act and fined €1100.

According to Mr Liam Herrick of the ICCL, when the Public Order Act was introduced the then government claimed it was needed to deal with violent or threatening behaviour by drunken gangs. However, he said the act is now being used to suppress freedom of speech.

He said the "catch-all clause about threatening or abusive language" is being used against people who make political speeches.

Tomorrow the group will protest outside the District Court against the arrest of one of its members Mr Rory Hearne who is due to appear before the court charged with offences under the Public Order Act. Mr Hearne was arrested at a protest outside the Burlington Hotel in Dublin outside an international conference on privatisation.

Eleven men and three women were all charged with behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace outside the hotel, last October. Further charges of failing to obey Garda directions to leave the scene were brought against eight of the protesters.

Three of the cases will be heard next September Mr Hearne's case will be heard in the morning and the remainder will all be dealt with on July 10th.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2002/0312/breaking38.htm

 

[pete]

Court dismisses case of anti-globalisation protester

The case against an anti-globalisation protester, who was charged with public order offences after a demonstration outside the Burlington Hotel was this afternoon dismissed at Dublin District Court.

The court earlier heard claims that Mr Rory Hearne had called on a crowd outside the hotel last October to be "angry and militant".

Mr Hearne was charged under Sections 6 and 8 of the Public Order Act.

This morning Inspector Patrick Comiskey told the court that from 5.30 p.m. on the day of the protest, about 150 members of the Socialist Party and Globalised Resistance Ireland began arriving by bus.

He said that with the aid of a loud-hailer, Mr Hearne called for protestors to be "angry and militant."

He said they blocked the entrance to the hotel, disrupting traffic which then had to use a side entrance. The protesters held placards with slogans such as "They say cutback, we say fight back" and "Our world is not for sale, put the bankers in jail."

Inspector Comiskey gave evidence that at around 7 p.m. protestors became quite violent towards the members of the Garda. "From that point on, the hotel could not operate effectively," he said.

He also told the court that flour, egg and paint were thrown at gardai, and that one Garda was cut over the eye with a placard. He said protestors had tried to break into the hotel. He added Mr Hearne had at all times acted as spokesperson for these protestors.

He asked Mr Hearne to leave the premises under Section 8 of the Public Order Act and said he directed gardaí to draw batons as he feared the crowd would move forward again.

Under cross examination, Inspector Comiskey said he did not see Mr Hearne throw eggs or flour or strike any Garda. Inspector Comiskey would not accept that gardaí over-reacted. "It was an intense and volatile situation at the time," he said.

 

[flibbertygibbet]

This morning Inspector Patrick Comiskey told the court that from 5.30 p.m. on the day of the protest, about 150 members of the Socialist Party and Globalised Resistance Ireland began arriving by bus.


Yeah right Mr. Piggy. I was there from 5.30 and i didn't see no bus loads of people arriving. Maybe he got confused by the fact that there were bus workers union type people there. As far as i can remember, there was a handful (possibly a large handful) of people there untill bout 7ish. It was hardly threatening.

 

[W.]

yehh i was at most of that court case today but i missed the end.

the gardai really only based their charges on very weak evidence and the fact that *they* considered Rory a ringleader .. i doubt i will get off in the same way as the gardai claim that i was arrested for "kicking a peace office in the backside" ..

but that's one down 13 to go .. . We're winning !!

fuck the police ..