Cork library closes after protesters mount banner across entrance without permission

A request to remove the banner 'resulted in an escalation of a tense situation,' said Cork City Libraries 

A protest outside the city library on Grand Parade. Picture: Larry Cummins 

A library in Cork was forced to close on Saturday after a banner was mounted by protesters across the entrance without permission.

Cork City Library on Grand Parade made the decision to close to the public from 12.30pm.The decision was "taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of the public and library staff".

A statement from Cork City Libraries said that as part of the protest, "a banner was mounted across the entrance without permission". 

"A request was made by Cork City Library staff that the banner be removed," the statement read. 

"This request was refused and resulted in an escalation of a tense situation. Having liaised with An Garda Síochána it was decided it would be unsafe for library staff to attempt to remove the banner."

Cork City Libraries said it "does not endorse the placing of banners on our library buildings. We would like to apologise to all library users for today’s disruption to service which was outside of our control".

Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy said these were "clear actions of heightened harassment by a very small minority".

"I will be meeting with senior gardaí this week calling for a stop to such horrific harassment," he added.

The banner was mounted by far right protesters. Speaking to The Echo, city librarian David O’Brien condemned the protesters for not removing the banner. 

"No matter who tries to put a banner up there it wouldn’t be allowed and it shouldn’t be allowed and this is Council property and notice banners are not allowed anywhere."

A counter protest also took place in the city on Saturday. 

Previous closures

This is not the first time that the library has had to close its doors in recent months.

The city's main library closed for the first time in more than a century in March amid fears of a similar protest and closed once again earlier this month during another rally.

On July 7, around 400 people marched through the city in solidarity with public library workers who have been faced with threats and intimidation while doing their job.

A small counter-protest by less than 20 people took place at the same time. The library closed to the public during this time following a risk assessment.

There have been calls for gardaí to take a stronger stance against far-right agitators who are involved in intimidation and threatening of library staff.

These calls were echoed once again following Saturday's announcement.

City librarian David O’Brien told councillors previously that his image appeared on a website where he was labelled “a paedophile”.

He paid tribute to library staff who he said had been supporting each other throughout the last few months but he said management had been trying to manage and respond to the protests without adding “fuel to the fire”.

“The key principle of the library service is that libraries are open to everybody without reference to gender, class or creed. The right to protest is there and whatever your record is outside the door, we have no issue with them provided they behave when they are inside,” he said.