Hoods worn by gardaí at protest ‘not correct’, admits Commissioner
THE wearing of hoods by gardaí policing a housing protest was “not correct”, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said. He has also asked for a report on what lessons can be learned from the event. However, the new Commissioner argued that officers showed restraint “in the face of physical and verbal abuse from a very small minority”. Gardaí have faced criticism as masked officers were assigned to police up to 1,000 people protesting against activists being evicted from a property in Dublin on Tuesday evening. Garda members stood in front of number 34 North Frederick Street while men in balaclavas from a private security group removed activists from the building. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last night defended the right to protest, but said it must be lawful. Mr Harris said that as the atmosphere at the protest grew tense, a small number of public order officers were deployed to ensure public safety. He said the use of fire retardant hoods by officers for their safety is a matter for the commander on the ground to decide based on a risk assessment. Mr Harris said the form of dress used at the event “was not correct as it is policy that if it deemed necessary to use the hood then it should be used in tandem with a protective helmet”. Mr Harris said that a deputy commissioner has issued a directive to all Garda personnel to re-enforce this requirement. Mr Harris said gardaí respect the right of people to protest peacefully and said his organisation’s role is to facilitate lawful demonstrations while protecting the rights of others to “do their lawful work safely”, in this case the carrying out of an order of the High Court. He said the objective in any such operation is to ensure public safety. Mr Harris also said that members of An Garda Síochána “showed restraint in the face of physical and verbal abuse from a very small minority”. He also condemned alleged racist abuse suffered by a Garda member. Mr Harris said: “The people who had occupied the building left the building peacefully in accordance with the High Court order. “Subsequent to this, a small crowd failed to leave the area despite repeated warnings from An Garda Síochána under the Public Order Act and five people were arrested.” Of those arrested, two are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on October 2. Four people were hospitalised following the incident, according to a statement released by Take Back the City. This is a network of 18 grassroots activist groups who are “working together to take direct action” against Ireland’s housing crisis. The activists were removed from the property as they had been defying a High Court order to remain in the building for a number of weeks. The order was issued on August 28, when those occupying the house were told to vacate it by 2pm the following day. Mr Justice Michael Quinn granted the owner of 34 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1, injunctions requiring persons unknown to vacate and cease trespassing at the building. The Taoiseach has defended the right to protest but said it must be non-violent and be within the law. He said in this case there was a High Court order to vacate the premises. Mr Varadkar also said: “like a lot of people, I didn’t like to see a private security firm in balaclavas”. He said gardaí were wearing hoods and ski masks due to the risk of fire or something being thrown at them, and to protect their identities. However, he added that in all cases they had their identification badges visible.