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Gardai beat up peaceful protestors to protect them from flying glass!!!!

category national | miscellaneous | news report author Tuesday May 07, 2002 03:51author by GluttonMan - LiberalLollipopLickersLiason

Even the Irish Times spin on this can't make it anything but a police riot.

The Irish Times' Maria O'Halloran spins this one as hard as she can for the boys in blue: "A number of people were injured in the clashes, though none seriously"; "He rejected suggestions that some protesters provoked gardaí. However, some 250 participants remained in Dame Street during the clashes [...]" "One of those involved said the car was owned by a participant and it was a symbolic "anti-car" demonstration [...] However, a Garda spokeswoman said it was a public disorder offence" What's the logical import of all the however's Marie? If I'm charitable I can assume that you don't understand what "however" implies in that context. I hope that you're just incompetent and not corrupt.

The best part of the story is the quote from a Bhean Garda:

"She said participants at the event could be injured by flying debris."

And if that didn't happen, then some of the criminals in blue were ready to injure them with flying truncheons. Well done protecting the public lads!

Sidenote:
I can imagine Marie O'Halloran's "balanced" reportage on WorldWar2: "Jewish leaders claimed on Saturday that their friends and families had been carted off by NAZIs to death-camps. However a spokeswoman for Herr Hitler said that only 100 people had been detained for serious crimes that would undermine the stability of the Fatherland."

Ah, yes, balance and objectivity.

Related Link: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2002/0507/2134307155HM1RIOT.html

Comments (3 of 3)

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bias + incompetence
author by readerpublication date Tue May 07, 2002 10:52author address author phone

The article also includes the line "One of those involved said the car was owned by a participant and it was a symbolic "anti-car" demonstration to "reclaim the streets" against traffic congestion for pedestrians and cyclists."

I find it absolutely inconceivable that any participant complained about "traffic congestion". What I'm sure was said was "traffic". A good indication not to rely on any of the rest of it.

By the way, Ms. O'Halloran, I'm sure you'll read this site, so please be aware IMC offers an automatic unedited right of reply!

Dahm Hippys
author by Readerpublication date Tue May 07, 2002 12:33author address author phone

Blocking roads, This crap it wrong, the whole lot of you should be jailed.

gardai
author by Readerpublication date Tue May 07, 2002 12:53author address author phone

I don't really like the gardai, however they have a hard time with people saying crap like this. In other countries, this sort of thing is common place. We are now part of europe, accept it. We have to deal with "innocent protestors" like they do. I'm sure its part the EU mandate that we should deal with crime, the same way as our european counterparts.

The gardai we're quite restrained in their dealings, since neither rubber billets (as britain, and germany use), nor huge water cannons (the french/italy) were in use.

I'm proud of the irish police forces for their actions, and hope they'll have the opportunity to act this way again without anyone flaming them.

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