Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

Any right-minded person would have no hesitation in condemning outright the thuggery that took place in Dublin on Saturday. As someone who has organised a number of marches in recent times, I have nothing but respect and admiration for gardaí and how they conducted themselves. The viciousness and mindless violence directed against reporters, including Mr. Charlie Bird, and gardaí shocked everybody. I am sure that in time the identity of those involved in organising this shameful episode will become clear. I wish the Garda Síochána every success in its investigation.

I was sorry to see so many gardaí injured. I am sure some may be entitled to compensation because of the severity of the injuries they received on this black Saturday. How would the Minister's proposed Garda reserve force have coped in this situation? How would people who have just spent a wet week training be able to cope with such violence and thuggery? I do not think they would have coped very well and I am sure the psychological scars that would have been left on those reserves, not to mention physical scars, would have been monstrous compared to the greater resilience of the highly trained and experienced gardaí who coped very well while under savage attack. The reserves would have been forced to retreat.

It is always difficult to predict when an event such as last Saturday's will turn nasty. We must remember the thousands of peaceful marches that have taken place and been managed effectively and well by the Garda Síochána. We cannot allow one black Saturday to force the Garda Síochána to arm itself to such a degree that it becomes intimidating to peaceful protestors. Nor can we allow the State to interfere with the right of people to protest peacefully because of the behaviour of a couple of thugs. Whatever they were trying to do and whoever they were, they brought nothing but disgrace to themselves and their cause.

The Love Ulster campaign had every right to protest peacefully and no one who is reasonable would dispute that right. What happened last Saturday was in total contrast to how peaceful protests should be conducted such as those by the Rossport Five and the Shell to Sea Campaign. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, made comments in the Dáil recently about intimidation and bullying but the only bullying taking place is by Shell and the Government in trying to force through a unique and dangerous pipeline carrying raw gas at unacceptably high pressure.

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