Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Are the cases I outlined, which involve the blocking of roads and acts of civil disobedience as part of effective protest to be allowed or not? Not only not allowed, but are they to be prosecuted with one of the most serious possible charges in the State, that of false imprisonment. What has happened is a threat to the right to protest. On the basis of the evidence presented, that was all he was accused of. There was no kidnapping involved. It was simply protesting. The question is whether protest is to be allowed anymore or is to be banned and deemed as false imprisonment.

See this speech in context