Clashes preceded by peaceful parades

THE day had gone off largely without incident right up to the violent clashes at Phoenix Park.

At 3pm on Saturday, the Dublin Grassroots Network kicked off their noisy, and very lengthy, march.

The Wombles marked the beginning of the parade, albeit in a humorous fashion, with a tape recording of the television series theme tune, to much applause.

The crowd, several hundred strong, snaked up St Stephen's Green, stopping briefly outside the Department of Justice and expressing their views on deportations and the upcoming referendum on citizenship.

Some of the marchers mainly the masked Black Block grouping snatched at media cameramen and photographers trying to take their pictures.

The Black Block mainly Irish but containing some English and other nationalities were hostile towards the media throughout.

On Leeson Street, the same grouping jumped on a tour bus, apparently carrying EU delegates from Belgium, banging on their windows.

Apart from this, the march went off peacefully and only attracted a small and discreet garda presence.

The protest stopped at Upper Leeson Street, where members on top of the five-story Georgian houses, draped a large banner over a derelict house, which read: "Homes, Not Jails."

The crowd, now numbering about 600, turned back toward town.

Such is the nature of loose alliances, such as the DGN, that there was little overall control of where the marchers were going and what they were doing.

Armed with megaphones, members of the Workers Solidarity Movement, part of the DGN, tried to coax people in certain directions, but sometimes without success.

They managed to make their way to an intended destination on Fitzwilliam Street, where they broke into the private park on Fitzwilliam Square, which is owned by local residents, including Tony O'Reilly.

Inside, the protesters treated it like one big picnic, sitting down relaxing, some sipping beers, a few rolling joints.

Other groups played football and threw frisbee. A few juggled. Others took turns speaking on the loudspeaker, railing against private property, media coverage and arguing for social justice.

Gardaí stayed on the edges and continued to maintain a low-key presence.

The marchers, making sure of picking up their rubbish, then proceeded across the Liffey to Amiens Street, where a demo was staged outside Top Oil, for supplying fuel to the US military.

After a brief, and entirely peaceful, standoff with gardaí protecting the garage, the marchers headed up to the GPO on O'Connell Street for their main assembly point, somehow arriving on time at 6pm.

After a brief rest, the main organisers consulted the crowd on megaphone, before agreeing to head to Phoenix Park.

Riot Countdown

10am: No Borders Morning organised by Dublin Grassroots Network (DGN) at Civic Offices on Wood Quay. A number of activities including street theatre pass off peacefully.

1.15pm: A second, separate, protest alliance, Another Europe is Possible, meet at the plaza at the Central Bank. This grouping well organised and well stewarded is run by an alliance of the Socialist Workers Party, Sinn Féin, Irish Anti-War Movement and others. The crowd 2,000 to 3,000 in number heads peacefully towards Heuston Station.

2.15pm: Reaches Heuston Station. Speeches followed by music and carnival up to 5.30pm.

2.30pm: DGN gather at front entrance to St Stephen's Green. 3pm: DGN Reclaim the Streets march begins, going to Leeson Street, Fitzwilliam Square, Amiens Street before arriving at the GPO at 6pm.

6.45pm: DGN Bring the Noise march to Phoenix Park takes off, with more than 2,000 people. 8pm: Marchers stop near Breffni Inn, Ashtown, to rest and regroup. 8.25pm: Move off again.

8.30pm: Stop near Kemptov housing estate, some 200 yards from garda line, which in turn is a mile from Farmleigh House. DGN organisers tell crowd they want to stay here. But part of crowd wants to continue.

8.32pm: Several hundred lead protesters reach uniformed garda line. Pushing and verbal abuse for 15 minutes.

8.50pm: Some protesters break through cordon, others hurl themselves at gardaí. Female garda hit on head with glass bottle. Riot squad moves in.

8.55pm: Water cannon placed in centre of road. Gardaí issue warning to leave, followed by water fire and first serious baton clashes.

8.55pm-9.55pm: Riot squad forces crowd to retreat, using batons, inflicting injuries and causing near panic.

10pm: Remaining crowd pushed back and dispersed. Riot squad pull back and replaced by uniformed gardaí.

11pm: About 200 protesters reach the GPO and sit down for about an hour, before dispersing peacefully.

12 midnight: Some 28 people charged before Cloverhill District Court, 25 remanded in custody.