Rights body to get May Day dossier
The ICCL is expected to ask the HRC to use its extensive powers to conduct its own investigation into the events and/or bring recommendations to the Government.
It is further understood the ICCL is itself investigating whether there is sufficient grounds to take a legal case under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
The ECHR was incorporated into Irish law this year and enshrines several rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.
“We are doing an analysis around May Day to find out what powers the police were exercising and to put that forward as a dossier where there have been breaches,” said Aisling Reidy of the ICCL.
“We are looking to get the HRC involved and get them to exercise their powers; to perhaps carry out a further investigation and to offer advice to the Government.”
She said she hoped to publish the dossier next week and to present it to the HRC, with the intention of having issues in the report debated prior to US President George W Bush’s visit on 25 and 26 June.
There are growing signs of a massive security operation for the visit, including an intelligence sweep of all 2,800 households in the Shannon area.
The ICCL hopes its dossier may help to wind down Garda preparations for the massive protests expected for the Bush visit.
Last week, the ICCL called for an inquiry into the level of force used by gardaí against protestors. Ms Reidy made the call after viewing video footage of the clash filmed by activists.
The footage showed an unarmed demonstrator being struck twice from behind with a baton wielded by a member of the Garda Public Order Unit.
