28 complaints lodged against gardaí over protest

SOME 28 people have made official complaints to the Garda Ombudsman Commission following clashes between gardaí and students last week.

The Garda watchdog confirmed the figure yesterday and said work was under way to see how many of those complaints were admissible.

A spokesman for the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) said the complaints went across a range of allegations about garda conduct and additional information might be required before a decision is made as to their admissibility.

A number of students were injured in the clashes last week, which were sparked by a breakaway protest outside the Department of Finance building on merrion Row, near St Stephen’s Green.

Objects including eggs were thrown at the building and there were heated exchanges between students holding a sit- down protest, and gardaí.

Some demonstrators then gained entry to the foyer of the building, with members of the riot squad drawing batons on some protesters.

Three people were arrested and a garda was also treated for a suspected broken nose following the incident, which led to some shops and restaurants closing their doors for a time.

The Union of Students of Ireland, which organised the march against proposals to increase college registration fees, criticised what it called left-wing elements for hijacking its protest, which had been attended by thousands of students from around the country.

It is understood that some of the complaints received by the GSOC are not from people directly affected by the clashes, but who instead witnessed them.

Yesterday, one of those injured in the clashes, student Tadhg Penston, confirmed that he was one of the people to have made an official complaint.

The student at Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education said: “I do not want to be attacking all the garda, they were out to do the job, and there were only a few of them abusing their position.”