Demonstrators accuse Garda’ of over-reacting with pepper spray

BY CIARAN TIERNEY

Gardai have been accused of an over-reaction by pepper-spraying demonstrators who broke away from the main protest outside the Labour Party conference at NUI Galway on Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of protestors broke away from the 5,000 strong demonstration, as they wanted to make their point to the delegates inside the Bailey Allen Hall rather than being confined to a car park away from the conference centre.

Demonstrators have defended their action in breaking through the Garda barriers before staging what they described as a peaceful ‘sit-in’ outside the front door of the hall.

Delegates inside the hall were locked in for some time after the Gardai had withdrawn from the barriers which had been set up to keep the protestors away from the Labour Party members inside the hall.

Dozens of groups, protesting against Government cut-backs, had marched from Eyre Square to the hall. Doors were shut when a minority broke through the barriers and only members of the news media were allowed outside.

About 100 protestors breached the barrier and broke past a private security firm’s cordon before staging a sit-down about ten metres from the front door.

Independent County Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig, of the Glor na Tuaithe group, was one of those who breached the barrier.He said that, ironically, one of the reasons he attended Saturday’s demonstration was to protest against the closure of Garda stations in rural Ireland.

“I felt that we needed to bring our message to the door of the Labour conference so the party’s ministers, TDs and faithful got to see how angry we are at their broken promises. So myself and some of my colleagues were at the vanguard of those who pushed and shoved their way through Garda lines,” he said.  

“I stress there was no violence on our part, it was simply pushing and shoving. Sure, there was a group of upper-middle class kids, some with hankies covering their faces, who were playing revolution. At least one such clown spat at the Gardaí. This sort of activity I would condemn as I do the use of pepper spray by the Gardaí, which was a complete over-reaction.”

He said that his organisation’s fight was “not with the Gardai”, but with the bankers, speculators, and ‘crooked’ politicians who were forcing ordinary people to pay for a crisis which was not of their own doing.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.