More than 700 at Cork anti-lockdown protest
AN anti-lockdown demonstration was staged without serious incident in Cork as gardaí mounted a major security operation in the city.
More than 700 people attended the event on St Patrick’s Street, which was organised by the Cork People’s Convention (CPC).
Demonstrators held placards warning: ‘Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil’, ‘End the Lockdown’, and ‘Freedom’.
Gardaí were determined to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes that marred an unconnected demonstration in Dublin last weekend, leaving three gardaí injured and dozens of people arrested.
Gardaí warned the Cork demonstration, described by the CPC as “a peaceful assembly” and planned long before the Dublin event, was not exempt from Covid-19 restrictions and attendees in breach of Level 5 controls risked being fined. Additional garda resources were drafted in for the security operation from other Cork divisions.
Special garda public order units were on standby near the city centre but were ultimately not required. Gardaí also video-taped the entire demonstration while the garda helicopter hovered overhead.
An individual caught with a canister of flammable liquid was arrested but later determined to be unconnected to the protest and involved a street artist whose routine included flaming torches.
CPC organisers warned anyone intent on causing trouble was not welcome at the event.
Spokesperson Diarmaid Ó Cadhla said they had been threatened with arrest and fines with numerous supporters prevented from attending because of garda checkpoints on the outskirts of the city.
He quoted John Lennon, to cheers from the large attendance, and said: “All I want to hear is the truth.”
“We are gathered here for a peaceful assembly and I would impress upon everybody today to respect that. We are here to express ourselves on a major issue in Ireland today in a peaceful, respectful and civilised manner.”
Throughout the 45-minute event there were loud cheers of ‘freedom’ and ‘truth’, while the Government was repeatedly slated as ‘traitors’.
As a precaution all city centre businesses selling takeaway alcohol suspended sales during the demonstration.