Commissioner condemns social media threats to eviction garda
GARDAÍ are carrying out a criminal investigation into online threats made against a member of the force who was policing the eviction of housing protesters last week.
It comes after the controversial operation last Tuesday when gardaí, with their faces covered, monitored a group of balaclava-clad men as they entered the premises on North Frederick Street in Dublin to remove protesters.
Just days after concerns were raised by gardaí about being identified on social media, one member was named, pictured and subjected to horrific abuse online.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris yesterday condemned the threats and confirmed they are now being investigated.
“Appropriate supports have been put in place by Garda management to protect the welfare and safety of the garda member,” he said.
“Threats and intimidation against Garda members who are only doing their job to keep people safe and uphold lawful order are completely unacceptable. I utterly condemn it.”
A republican website based in the Midlands still had a photograph and the name of the officer on its social media page yesterday, along with derogatory slurs about him.
“Welcome to the digital age of facial recognition software,” it said in the post, which was first uploaded on Friday.
“Meet Garda **** who can be found every day stuffing his face in the restaurant of ****, that’s when he is not wandering the corridors of the **** in search of a victim to ****.”
Subsequent comments on different pages, some of which have since been removed, suggested the garda should “have a cable-tie wrapped around his neck” and another said he should be “hit in the head with a bullet”.
Some protesters who gathered in support of the Take Back The Streets campaign last Tuesday were arrested for public order offences.
The operation was criticised by observers, politicians and the Policing Authority, which said the images of gardaí and security men working with their faces covered “doesn’t inspire confidence”.
In a demonstration in reaction to the operation, protesters caused traffic chaos last Wednesday evening when they blocked traffic.
Mr Harris issued a statement that afternoon confirming gardaí involved were not wearing their uniform headgear in the correct manner. However, officers voiced concerns about the threat of being identified and abused online.
Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan called on social media companies to co-operate in the Garda probe.
“Anyone seriously threatening violence against a member of An Garda Síochána, or any member of the public, needs to be investigated and charges need to be brought if appropriate,” he said.
“This will require co-operation from social media companies, who can no longer continue to hide behind the fiction that they are not joint publishers of these threats.”
One person said the garda should have a cabletie put around his neck