500 in May Day policing protest march

More than 500 demonstrators converged on a central Dublin police station tonight to protest at the way officers broke up a May Day anti-capitalism march.

Left-wing politicians, civil liberties representatives and trade union activists addressed the crowd, which waved banners and chanted slogans outside the Pearse Street Garda station.

They were calling for the right to hold peaceful protests after 12 people needed hospital treatment and 24 were arrested on Monday when police moved in with batons to disperse demonstrators who had blocked a central Dublin street.

The Government had demanded a full report into Monday’s incident from Commissioner Pat Byrne.

The Commissioner has said he was ‘‘concerned’’ by television footage which showed officers, some without identification numbers, wielding batons.

And Bertie Ahern said yesterday it was evident ‘‘heavy-handed’’ tactics had been used during the Bank Holiday protest.

Tonight, dozens of officers oversaw the rally as students from Trinity College hung banners from the windows of their halls of residence opposite.

Stewards from the group which organised tonight’s protest, Globalise Resistance, also maintained crowd control and kept watch to prevent potential violent elements hijacking the march.

After the speeches the crowd, which had swelled to more than 1,000, marched to Dublin Corporation offices, with police clearance.

Chief Superintendent William Donoghue, of Pearse Street Garda station, said: ‘‘It was extremely peaceful and quiet. We brief Gardai in the way we do for all such marches and functions.

‘‘We have a good track record policing demos. The odd one does go wrong from time to time.’’

He said the complication with policing last Monday’s demonstration was that no information was previously passed to police. But officers had been warned of tonight’s demonstration.

‘‘It is easy to plan for something when we have the information,’’ Mr Donoghue said.

‘‘But when we have no information or communication it is very difficult.

‘‘People are entitled to protest and to have their protest or meeting provided they do not break the law.’’