OCCUPY GALWAY TO HOLD ASSEMBLY AFTER CAMP DISMANTLED

Date Published: 16-May-2012

The Occupy Galway movement will hold a general assembly in Eyre Square this lunchtime to discuss their next steps.

This morning Gardaí and city council dismantled the groups 300 square metre encampment, consisting of hundreds of wooden pallets, smaller tents and signage.

Up to 40 Gardaí moved in at 4 am, and removed 6 protestors.

A man in his 20s was arrested for failure to comply with the order but has since been released.

Clothes, shoes, tents and all other property was put into bags and has now been moved to a city council unit for storage.

Gardaí have crodoned off the area , and several city council personnel are currently power hosing the area.

Spokesperson for Occupy Galway, Chris Deignan says the raid took them by surprise.

The encampment has been in Eyre Square for seven months.

City Manager Joe O' Neil says dismantling the camp today had nothing to do with the timing of the Volvo Ocean race