Garda denies assaulting May Day protester

A garda today denied assaulting a participant in a May Day rally in the centre of Dublin last year.

Garda Keith Goff is the first of seven officers facing trial in connection with a Reclaim The Streets protest.

The rally and Gardahandling of the event featured in detailed TV news coverage on the same night as the demonstration on May 6, 2002.

Garda Goff pleaded not guilty at Dublin’s District Court to assaulting Brian Hayden on Dame Street.

A total of seven members of the Gardaí were charged after the operation to break up the protest in which 24 people were arrested after baton-wielding officers moved in and 14 protesters were injured.

Mr Hayden, a student, said the atmosphere had been jovial for the most part, but scuffles later broke out between gardaí and demonstrators.

He told the court he saw one man being beaten with batons by two or three officers and he had been hit on the head from behind.

Video evidence of the event is to be shown at a later stage in the trial, which is expected to end later this week.