Security at Leinster House to be reviewed after 13 arrested during aggressive protests

The protest outside Leinster House ton Wednesday as Dáil Eireann resumed after the summer break. Picture: Garett Chaney / Collins 

Security at Leinster House is to be kept under review in the face of aggressive protests towards TDs and senators outside the Dáil on Wednesday.

In the aftermath, 13 people were arrested in connection with the protests outside Leinster House.

TDs and staff were held up in cars for over an hour before being allowed to leave the premises as protesters barricaded the back entrance.

A convoy of 16 cars containing several TDs wishing to leave, including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, was formed but was left waiting for more than an hour until it was safe to do so.

Several protestors were seen running alongside the cars as they exited while others chanted: “You’ll never beat the Irish.”

Protesters took mock gallows and photographs of high-profile politicians to the demonstration.

The gallows, which featured an effigy of a man hanging from a noose, was adorned with portraits of politicians including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.

Images of Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney, Education Minister Norma Foley and Children's Minister Roderic O’Gorman also accompanied the display.

Depictions of opposition TDs including Eoin Ó Broin from Sinn Féin and Solidarity-People Before Profit deputies Paul Murphy and Bríd Smith also featured.

No place for 'racist' language

Independent TD Micheal Healy-Rae said there was no place in society for the “racist” language used by protesters outside Leinster House on Wednesday.

Mr Healy-Rae said he had no problem with people saying “politicians are doing no good” and protesting outside the Dáil — but there had been no need to escalate to that level of violence.

“There is no need to be shouting dirty language. The language they were using is what I would call the racist language — we should have no place in society for that,” he told Newstalk’s Hard Shoulder programme.

Michael Healy-Rae with gardaí moments after being confronted by protesters near Leinster House on the first day of the Dáil

The Kerry TD also told of the experience of an American student who had just started an internship in Leinster House to learn about Irish politics.

“Forget about me for a minute. Think about that young girl — she's a young girl and she was shoved, and she was pushed. And all I’d say is that when it started, she had her mobile phone firmly in her pocket, and when that altercation finished, her mobile phone was gone.

“It didn't fall out of her pocket because she said that that didn't happen — the girl knew from the way she had it in her pocket,” he said. 

When asked if he thought her phone had been stolen by the protestors, Mr Healy-Rae said he did and it was unfortunate this had been her experience on her first day in the Dáil.

The gallows, which featured an effigy of a man hanging from a noose, was adorned with portraits of politicians including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Picture: Gareth Chaney / Collins Photos

'Profoundly anti-democratic'

Elsewhere, on Newstalk Breakfast, Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik described the protest as “profoundly anti-democratic”.

She said it was important people have the right to protest and the right to assemble outside the parliament, but the individuals involved had engaged in violence and harassment. 

“They blocked and obstructed members of the Oireachtas and dignitaries from entering their cars, and they prevented other peaceful demonstrations from going ahead. I know of at least two other planned political events that had to be cancelled because of the risk to safety. And it's really unacceptable, this sort of obstruction," she said.

Ms Bacik said she supported a call for a review of security arrangements, not just of the protest that took place on Wednesday but also of threatening and intimidating behaviour online.

The Labour leader said she had seen protests in the past spill over into “obstructive, threatening, intimidating events” but Wednesday’s events indicated far-right groups were attempting to spread a message of hate.

She said it was a cause for concern that far-right groups were attempting to “stoke racism” on social media platforms, which made it important for such platforms to “take much more proactive steps to prevent attacks and indeed to take down disinformation".

“We need to review how we can ensure a safe entry and exit from the parliament, from the building. This is a complex where many people work, quite apart from public representatives, the large number of people who are working as political staff and they need to have safe access and entry to work," she concluded.

A large Garda presence at the protest outside Leinster House on Wednesday. Picture: Stephen Collins / Collins Photos

'A very bad day'

Meanwhile, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said he was appalled by the protests and he urged anyone considering becoming a politician not to be put off.

“I just have to make the point that what we saw happen yesterday is so rare. It's such an infrequent occurrence in our democracy and for the vast majority of people who vote within our country, for politicians. 

"It just reaffirms the value to me of casting a vote and in particular casting a vote for those who are working hard trying to make Ireland a better place inside a democracy,” he also told Newstalk Breakfast. 

When asked why he thought there was an escalated level of protest, Mr Donohoe said Ireland was not unique in having to confront this issue, perhaps a little later than in other countries.

There were real pressures with regard to the cost of living, he said and he appreciated how difficult this was. 

There were other factors, the first of which was, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the way the State operated, the way government operated was increasingly being physically challenged by a “small number of people” for “more sinister purposes”. 

There was also the amplification of fears by conspiracy theorists which was spread through different forms of digital communication.

Yesterday was a very disturbing, a very bad day. And I'm greatly concerned by the way politicians and staff were treated.

“It was about a protest against the way we conduct politics in our country. But I just want to make the point again, that's why voting is important and to assure those who want to come into politics that what happened yesterday is rare and I hope will continue to be rare. 

"And people like me have a duty to call that out, which I'm doing here today,” he said.