Gardaí ‘legally obliged’ to allow and protect peaceful protests

THE Irish Council for Civil Liberties is to send a letter to Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to remind him the Garda Síochána is legally obliged to allow, and protect, peaceful protests.

The move follows concerns in the ICCL regarding the scale of the security measures being adopted by gardai in preparation for this weekend’s EU protests.

“We are very concerned that gardai, through stories fed to the media, is trying to soften up public opinion for a show down, by talking of potential violence and well planned attacks by subversives,” said Aisling Reidy of the ICCL.

She said they would send a letter to Commissioner Conroy this week ahead of Saturday’s protests to remind him of his requirements under the law.

“The gardai have an obligation to facilitate people who want to protest. Freedom of expression and freedom of association are protected under the Constitution and the European Convention of Human Rights.”

Ms Reidy will tell Commissioner Conroy that part of this obligation requires the gardai to protect peaceful protests from being hijacked by violent people.

“They are there to protect protestors and allow legitimate protest and gatherings to take place.

“That is not the signal they are sending out, they are hyping up a potential confrontation.”

Ms Reidy will also be raising the matter with the Garda Representative Association at their annual conference on Wednesday.

In what is believed to be the first time in their history, the ICCL has been invited by the GRA to attend their agm, a move welcomed by the ICCL.