Councillors oppose proposal to ban political events and protests from public parks

The head of Dublin's Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services division, Lee Moore, said the council anticipated that it would receive a lot more requests for marches to end up in Merrion Square. Photo: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Councillors from across political parties have voiced strong opposition to a proposal by officials in Dublin City Council to ban protests and political events from being held in public parks in the city.

The local authority claims it is receiving an increasing number of requests for parks in the city centre to host events organised by groups protesting about geopolitical events occurring around the world.

Dublin City Council said its parks have traditionally been managed as “places of refuge and calm” and its Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services division have in practice not permitted them to be used for any activities which would be seen “to promote any political cause or protest movement". 

The head of the division, Les Moore, told a meeting of the council’s Arts, Culture, Leisure and Recreation Committee that the proposed ban was being sought as the council believed it would be desirable and beneficial to have a clear policy on refusing requests to use public parks for political demonstrations on national or international issues.

Mr Moore said officials are looking for the council’s Strategic Policy Committee to approve a proposal that public parks in the city centre be managed as “places of refuge, rest and relaxation” with any event organised to protest against or in favour of any national or geopolitical event to be prohibited from being held in them.

However, the chairperson of the Arts, Culture, Leisure and Recreation Committee, Cat O’Driscoll, recommended rejection of the proposal as she believed the large number of monuments and other “significant things” in parks mean they are “great places to gather".

The Social Democrats councillor said she was particularly thinking of Declan Flynn, who was murdered in a homophobic attack in Fairview Park in 1982, and how “very respectful solidarity protests” were held in parks to highlight hate attacks against the transgender community.

Ms O’Driscoll said she believes the council’s call for a ban on all demonstrations or similar events in public parks is “too broad” and could be modified to ensure any events were safe and would not have an adverse impact on the parks.

A man sprays the road with Green paint in February 2020 as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest over climate change at Fine Gael HQ on Merrion Square in Dublin. Mr Moore had said that the group had occupied Merrion Square without authorisation for a period of time a few years ago. File photo: RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin councillor, Micheál MacDonncha, said the council’s proposal required “a lot more rethinking” as its implications were “fairly wide.” He said he could understand the council’s motive in bringing forward the proposal but believed it could result in “more restrictions than are envisaged". 

Labour councillor, Fiona Connelly, expressed concern that the proposed ban could also prevent “very peaceful and friendly events” like schools staging pride parades and marches in public parks.

In reply to councillors, Mr Moore said he was reluctant to be specific about what had initiated the proposal but insisted it would merely reflect a policy that “goes back many years” in relation to parks.

“I suppose we want to keep them as places that don’t get taken advantage of in terms of major protest events that might happen,” said Mr Moore.

He pointed out that Extinction Rebellion — a group of climate change activists — had occupied Merrion Square without authorisation for a period of time a few years ago.

Mr Moore said the council anticipated that it would receive a lot more requests for marches to end up in Merrion Square.