Dr. Shawna Coxon:

One of the tactics they use internationally is trying to bait police agencies into being part of footage that makes them look heavy-handed. We are very well aware of some of the tactics used abroad, and I would say it is no different here in that regard. This is an important conversation and I appreciate the Deputy bringing it up because there is a question of balance. Things are changing and we need to be mindful of the tactics people are using. We still have the right to protest peacefully, and that is the line that the protestors are walking us along. We must be sure we are the ones who decide when things are going too far. In that regard, there has been much training, and that training continues. I will let Ms Willis speak about what that looks like in Dublin specifically.

We know that protests move towards things like harassment in terms of how people are meant to feel. The challenge is that we want to engage on the basis of a continuum. You cannot just jump from saying there is a protest to pushing people along. People have the right to protest peacefully and we need to be mindful of where the line lies. The conversation is important because people have different perspectives.