Why treat anti-war protesters like criminals?

RECENTLY I joined a peace demonstration at Shannon. The demonstrators were just like me — ordinary people of all ages who disagree with the use of a civilian airport in Ireland by a belligerent foreign power.

What outraged us was the massive presence of gardaí. When I returned home to Cork the same night, drunken crowds were stumbling across the streets causing the usual weekend havoc and disrupting traffic.

I didn’t see a single garda there, just as I never see gardaí protecting the city’s No 2 bus from the stones frequently thrown at it.

But there was no shortage of gardaí at Shannon. I would be pleased to assume they were there to protect us, a peaceful gathering of men, women and children carrying flowers to a coffin laid in the middle of the road to symbolise the millions of innocents who have died in wars. No, the gardaí were there instead to take pictures and film us on their video cameras. I do not like the idea of being treated like a criminal because I am anti-war.

Who gives the gardaí, whose salaries are paid through my taxes, the right to treat me as a criminal and have a photo/video file on me because I decided to take part in a peaceful march?

I was only exercising my democratic rights and the gardaí should be there to protect those rights by protecting me.

I hope this is an isolated incident and that the issue will be investigated because it would be shocking to find out that Ireland, after all, is not a democratic country and that the police force is not there for the people but to defend the policies of a foreign country.

Sabrina Straventa

36 Ardcarrig

Carrigaline

Co Cork