Garda harass embassy protests

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 03, 2002 15:47 by Andrew - The Struggle site

Three photos and a report as of lunchtime on Weds

Report on Gardai harrassment with photos

Harassment of Israeli embassy protesters

I have just returned from a lunchtime visit to the tree occupation at the Israeli embassy, opposite Durys hotel in Ballsbridge. Two young women are still up the trees there although as Natashia had to go Tracey has replaced her. Venus has now been up the tree for nearly 48 hours. I had met them both in Cork at the Grassroots Gathering where they had heard that a friend of theirs, Caoimhe Butterly was in Yassar Arafat?s office. They decided to protest at the embassy until she and another women Mary Kelly was safe.

Last night was quite positive with around 40 people visiting the tree sit in, at one point around 15 were present and several more joined them in the trees. This means that both women are now in the same tree and that they are well supplied with blankets.

However at Seven O?clock this morning the three Gardai at the foot of the tree (numbers E137, E97, E142) were joined by three more in a van. This group proceeded to steal all the protesters equipment on the ground, which included petitions that people passing had signed protest signs and food. When the women in the tree asked them not to remove their equipment they did not reply and just jeered them. When asked by the lone supporter on the ground not to remove the equipment they threatened him with arrest for vagrancy.

When I asked E97 who was still on duty under what law they had done this he said it was under the litter act because the material was abandoned. When I pointed out that it was clearly not abandoned and that this in any case would have been the responsibility of a litter warden he refused to reply and told me that he would answer no further questions.

This was a continuation of the petty harassment that was going on yesterday. It emerged that the Gardai had also threatened to impound Frodo, the dog belonging to Venus who had been sitting patently at the foot of the tree. They had also been stopping supporters leaving the area and demanding to know their names and addresses. A protester cycling away from the area who briefly mounted a pavement on his bike before dismounting was stopped by Gardai and told he would be summoned for cycling on the pavement.

It is noticeable that the Gardai hare not engaging in this sort of harassment when there are any number of people around, in particular if anyone has a camera. Indeed when I was taking pictures the Guard on duty scuttled to the other side of the tree to be out of camera shot. If you are in the area please stop at the protest for a while each time you pass by and say hi. If you don?t live or work nearby please try and get down to the protest for a couple of hours. They intend to stay up the trees but you can check they are still there by ringing Amanda on 087 4129579.

Central Bank, Saturday 6th April at 1.00pm
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign is organising a protest for 1.00pm on Saturday 6th April outside the Central Bank in Dame Street.