Gardaí ‘injured 25 protesters’

TWO people suffered serious head wounds and a total of 25 were injured during last week’s May Day disturbances, organisers of the protest march to Phoenix Park said yesterday.

The Dublin Grassroots Network, showing its own dossier on events last Saturday, claimed two people sustained severe skull injuries, two had minor head wounds, two suffered broken arms and one broke his wrist after being knocked over by water cannon.

Those who organised the protest argued that the “hype” leading up to the day and the response of the gardaí was designed to criminalise protest.

Network spokesperson Liz Curry criticised the Garda response, claiming it was totally disproportionate. Aisling Reidy, of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, added: “They had a very easy situation to deal which they dealt with very heavy-handedly.”

The gardaí said the policing of the march was professional and proportionate. One Garda was injured after being struck by a bottle.

Several thousand people were barred from entering Phoenix Park after being stopped at the Ashtown roundabout at the top of the Navan Road. The riot squad and two water cannons were deployed after missiles were thrown.

Gardaí backed up by the cannons spent a number of hours pushing protestors back down the Navan Road and in to the city centre.

Ms Curry said: “I understand why they brought in the riot police. I don’t really have a problem with that.

“But then later when it was absolutely clear they (the gardaí) were not under threat, they went in very heavy-handed.

While activists claim there were as many 25 injured, only one person involved was reported to have received hospital treatment.

Chekov Feeney, an activist who helps run the Indymedia website, said he picked up two people who suffered severe head wounds and added that his brother had broken a wrist.