Gardaí force photo agency to give up protest images

The National Union of Journalists has strongly criticised the actions of the gardaí in forcing a leading Irish photographic agency to hand over images of a protest outside the Department of Justice in Dublin.

Last week the offices of Photocall Ireland were visited by gardaí who served a summons on two staff, a photographer who had photographed the protest, and the office manager. Photocall had refused to voluntarily hand over the images and were forced to do so on foot of a warrant .

Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish secretary, said the actions of the gardaí in securing an order against the agency “raises serious questions about the attitude towards journalists and journalism”.