Firm gets order to prevent protest at awards event

A security company has been granted a temporary High Court order preventing several anti-eviction activists from organising a protest at the Irish Country and Western Music Awards ceremony at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel later this month.

KTech Security secured the orders against several individuals it says are involved in anti-eviction groups who, the court heard, have issues with the company’s alleged involvement in evictions.

As a result, KTech have launched actions against defendants who are allegedly involved in organisations called The Land League, The Hub, and The Anti-Eviction Group.

The court heard they were to protest against KTech, which will be providing security at the Irish Country Music Awards at Citywest Hotel on January 26.

The company, which provides various security services including security at properties taken into possession by insolvency practitioners, claims the proposed protest is part of a campaign aimed at damaging its business.

KTech also claims that its employees and directors have been subjected to threats and intimidation on social media. It also says the anti-eviction campaigners have published malicious and defamatory falsehoods about it on the internet.

The injunction was granted by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan following an application by Robert Beatty for KTech, with a headquarters at Walkinstown Avenue, Dublin.

The injunction prevents the defendants and all other parties who have notice of the order from promoting and assisting with the organisation of what KTech says is an unlawful protest at the Citywest Hotel and complex on the night of the awards ceremony.

The court heard the hotel was informed by the various groups that there would be a peaceful protest at the ceremony to highlight KTech’s involvement in the eviction of people from their homes, and that if the protesters get an undertaking from the company to desist from this type of work, the protest will not proceed.

Mr Justice Gilligan, who granted the temporary injunction on an ex parte basis, listed the case to come before the court again this week.