Putting the gardai under the spotlight

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Monday December 17, 2007 00:12

by Gregor Kerr - WSM May 1st

Over 200 people packed into the Royal Dublin Hotel on Dublin’s O’Connell Street in early December for a public meeting on the topic ‘Democracy and Policing: How accountable are the gardaí to the Irish people?’

Over 200 people packed into the Royal Dublin Hotel on Dublin’s O’Connell Street in early December for a public meeting on the topic ‘Democracy and Policing: How accountable are the gardaí to the Irish people?’
The meeting was addressed by:
• Larry Wheelock whose brother Terence died in suspicious circumstances in Store Street Garda Station in Dublin over two years ago (see ‘Something Rotten in Store Street’ in WS99, www.wsm.ie/news_viewer/2829)
• John Monaghan from Rossport in Mayo whose community has been under constant garda siege as a result of their resistance to Shell’s attempts to force an unsafe pipeline and refinery on them (a story which has been well documented in Workers Solidarity)
• John Maloney from Crumlin, Dublin whose son John died in suspicious circumstances after his arrest by Gardaí from Rathfarnham Garda Station in Dublin (for details see www.indymedia.ie/article/75337)
• A statement was also read on behalf of the Rossiter family from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary whose 14-year-old son Brian died after being found unconscious in a Garda cell.

The meeting heard speaker after speaker from the floor recount their stories of garda brutality and unaccountability. In giving people the forum in which to begin to address these questions the meeting served a very useful purpose.

As anarchists, we know that it will always be impossible under capitalism to hold the gardaí accountable in any meaningful way. The police force in any state is there to protect the status quo and will do whatever is necessary to do so. In situations such as that in Rossport, the cops will always be there to defend the multinational company rather than to uphold the rights of ordinary people.

Anybody who has ever attended a picket or a protest will probably have had the experience of having their name and/or their photograph taken – even though there’s supposed to be a right to peaceful protest. However, it is important that meetings such as this one are held and it’s important that communities and individuals are empowered to stand up to the abuses of power which occur on a daily basis.

It is for the same reason that the demands of campaigns such as those of the Wheelock, Rossiter and Maloney families for independent inquiries into the killings of their loved ones are important for all of us. If the state can be forced to concede an inquiry in any of these cases and if the individual gardaí responsible can be held even partly to account, it will mean that all of us will feel more able to confront such abuses.

Just as it is impossible to have ‘accountable gardaí’ in any meaningful way without a complete change in the power relationships in society, neither is it possible for the state to ever be truly neutral or ‘independent’. Any inquiry which the state is forced to concede in these cases will of course be limited and the different organs of the state – politicians, gardaí and judiciary – will always cover up for each other. But the demand for an inquiry into each of these deaths – and all unexplained deaths in garda custody - is one which it is important that all of us should not alone support but actively campaign for. Putting them under the spotlight of publicity makes them think twice about their behavior.

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Comments (8 of 8)

Video of meeting Soon!

by barra

Mon Dec 17, 2007 13:32

The “Democracy and Policing” event was filmed and a broadcast quality version of this video will be available to download soon.

Details will be posted on this site in the near future for anybody who wants to:

download stream or screening a copy of this thirty minute video.

This was not an anti-garda meeting, but a constructive debate about how the “guardians of the peace” are continuously abusing and over stepping the authority delegated to them by the Irish people.

There were many genuine first person accounts of the violence committed against individuals, families and by interactions with some members of the Gardai.

There were no Garda Representations or individual Gardai at the meeting to represent the Gardai point of view on the issue of democracy and policing.

looking forward to seeing your work

by paul

Thu Dec 20, 2007 14:40

custodial care is what i'm researching at the momment thanks for the tips maybe we could team up and make a feature length doc

Its all political

by Pete

Thu Dec 20, 2007 16:32

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/leading-garda-w....html

http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/119763944789714.html

merry xmas

by The watcher

Sat Dec 22, 2007 13:42

Limerick Garda arrest woman and leave dogs on street
It might well be the festive season but garda abuse still continues strong.

Friday night in Thomas Street, Limerick city outside a popular night club at about 1.30am (Sat morning). A crowd was gathered outside the nightclub, waiting for entry as other customers left and made room.

A motorcycle garda was astride his bike nearby keeping an eye on the waiting clubbers. A woman passing by with two small dogs stopped and spoke with the garda. There didn't seem anything unusual or untoward about this.

However, several minutes later the garda moved his motorcycle closer to the edge of the road and dismounted (he was on the pavement at this stage) and I noticed the woman was still nearby. There did not appear any trouble as such.

A garda car then pulled up, two ban gardai emerged and with the motocycle garda immediately began manhandling the woman, handcuffing her and putting her into the patrol car.

Although I didn't hear any comment, before being forced into the car the arrested woman must have mentioned her dogs because one of the ban garda said with a sarcastic tone and a smirk "bye bye dogs". I took note of the car and motorcycle registration numbers.

The garda then left the scene. The dogs were left on the street and appeared to roam about looking for their owner. Several people in the nightclub queue who had watched the incident remarked on this and seemed angered by the whole thing.

I walked the short distance to Henry Street garda station and told a desk sergeant that I felt I had witnessed an improper arrest and said that a woman had been taken into custody a short time earlier and that two dogs with her had been left on the street.

Without taking any detail at all the sergeant merely said he would "look into the matter" and then went out of the station with two other officers, leaving the front desk area apparently unmmanned.

Happy Christmas.

curious -

by crasey

Sat Dec 22, 2007 14:26

A bad business it sounds - any further news on the 'criminal' or the wee dogs?

no news

by the watcher

Sat Dec 22, 2007 16:03

No further news on either but hopefully the canny canines found their way back home to await their criminal owner ...

The truth shall set you free. happy xmas

by mick

Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:59

wishing all the familys who have lost these young people in unexplained and contraversal cirumstances in police stations around the country my deepest sympathies at this time of year.
it never cease's to amaze me how such healthy young men and children go in to a garda station and end up dead,
something is very wrong in our society when this happens and no explanation is giving to the victims loved one's for this needless loss of life,
life is sacret and it is just unacceptable that those who hold power in our society tolerates such arrogance from a police force that is paid to protect us ad gaurd us from criminals and abuse's of our civil and human rights.
they are there up defend and up hold the law and its citizens rights, i feel that this country has drifted away from this principle.
injustice has shown through a long proven record that it takes along time for the truth to come out and only through peoples pursuit of the truth and justice through many barriers that are thrown in front of them will they acheive there goal the must persevere though good times and bad only then wll the truth set them free.
good luck to the familys in 2008 united they stand devided they fall.

Ombudsman

by Jim Davis

Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:48

It's worth pointing out that the Wheelocks didn't accept the verdict given by the coroners inquest and the garda ombudsman has decided to investigate the circumstances surrounding Terence Wheelocks death.

Garda Ombudsman is and independent body set up to investigate complaints and alleged offenses against members of An Garda Siochana.

I get the impression that most posters on this site would not accept any verdict by any independednt body that fully acquitted the gardai.

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Putting the gardai under the spotlight

Comments (8 of 8)