Garda Rep Ass 'there is another side to the story', talking about RTS

by james - socialist alternative Tue May 14, 2002 17:51 antrophe at hotmail dot com

he also said cops should use video recording footage and asked for more cameras when on duty, doesnt exactly explain why they grabbed cameras off people, doesnt explain why CCTV footage hasnt been released, ahh do we really expect anything else from the main arm of the states organise violence...

by Oly Tue May 14, 2002 18:17 buggeredby at priest dot com

I have got hold of a video with Gardaí baton charging a few people on Burgh quay who were doing nothing. Even a few Gardaí not wearing their numbers, and this is at 4pm, before Dame Street. The Gardaí look calm, if a little bemused. This must lend an air of suspicion to the notion that they had indeed been instructed to go in with batons first, asking questions later. After the first baton charge came the abuse, the flying cans etc. What do they expect? How else can people defend themselves against dozens of 6 foot men wielding weapons? I think it's hilarious that he believes the public will end up praising the gardaí for their performance. what does he mean that cameras should be used in future? Garda cameras are a common sight at demonstrations and protests and have been at all previous RTS events anyway, to my knowledge.

Anyway, in response to the points he made:

Gardaí acting responsibly? How? By beating young teenagers and women without shoulder ID, rendering them unidentifiable?

Damaged Car? Smoke Bomb? How about the 6 stitches in my head?

Kicking a car with a baby inside? How about knocking a 16 year old girl unconscious?

If these are the only facts they have to prove that they were indeed correct in beating protestors, punching and kicking women until they bleed and hospitalising at least 14 people, then we have ready won.

Oly

by GarC Tue May 14, 2002 18:35 garcollins at hotmail dot com

This is absolute tripe.

The car and smoke bomb incident happened 4 Hours before the main violence by the Gardaí on Dame Street. The Gardaí at the time were not aggravated and behaved totally irresponsibly if P.J Stone was there he would have seen what happened. The Gardaí are trying their best to dig themselves out of an ever growing hole and it looks pathetic. If their was real evidence, they would have used it by now. They have CCTV all over Dame St. and have not come up with one incident of Gardaí being provoked or assaulted. What they will try to do now is find some so called 'witness' to say that they saw something untoward. Example: In the paperslastweek there was reports of someone running up Parliment St. with mace like object, they discribed it as "a one and a half foot long piece of wood or metal with a ball and chain on the end of it." Did anybody else see this? I did and It was a inflatable toy. C'mon. Mr. Stone if you have evidence. "Release the tapes." Or would this further incriminate the thugs in blue shirts.

by blisset Tue May 14, 2002 18:43

This pathetic attempt to spin a story is too late, illogical and sails close to the wind in terms of libel. Did he specifically refer to the complaints and complainants from the RTS demo in terms of them having criminal/subversive leanings? If he did he is digging a big hole that he will not be able to get out of.

As for the CCTV footage - It would look bad for them. I'm sure they were gathering close up's of those present for their 'files' more than anything else and besides the footage would probably reveal a chain of command in operation which is the last thing they want to happen.

It'll all come out in the wash in the court cases.

by eejit Tue May 14, 2002 18:47

I think the term is
"Scared shitless"

This is going to be a fun summer watching them try and get out of this.

by Phuq Hedd Tue May 14, 2002 19:57

Has it given birth yet? I hope it didn't have to go to hospital with a baton wound.

by Dan Fada Tue May 14, 2002 22:58

Support the gardai: hit yourself on the head with a baton.

by phil connors Tue May 14, 2002 23:40 marchantseven at yahoo dot co dot uk

My one from that day is of that blue shirted lunatic standing in the middle of Dame St. eyes wide, nostrils flared, baton in hand and just looking for the next person to attack. He is one nasty, ugly man and has obviously been doing this thing for years. Donal you must be unbelievably stupid if you think you can get away with this, one way or another we're all held to account.

by Joe - Public Wed May 15, 2002 02:07

That's shameful.

I would like to know from PJ Stone.

1. Has any member of the Garda had the decency/honour to apologise to those people who were hospitalised by members of An Garda Siochana?

2. What type of honour can the Garda claim to have as a police force, or even civil adults, if instead of admitting their mistakes, they simply try to deny them and fabricate a shameless story.

3. Where is the CCTV footage of the 'other side of the story' the CCTV network had many more angles than the IMC camcorders? Why not release the footage?

4. Why was a photocopied satirical article from the Slate presented to RTE as if it was a press release for RTS or incentive to create a disturbance?

If you continue with this mockery, then there is no honour in the GRA.
If you want to defend the Garda Siochana do it by doing the right thing.
Let the course of justice apply to the guilty gardai. Public confidence will recover somewhat if they see the GRA behaving with the honour and fairness that the Garda is supposed to represent.
otherwise, the shame of the uniformed thugs on the day will be spread because of a wider cover-up job.

We all know the Garda now read this site, so they might as well make a public statement on this.

Joe, very disappointed in the GRA.