An attack on a Garda is an attack on all of us, and decent society. It must not be allowed stand

WE are all tired. We are all exhausted. Our connection to society has been stretched to breaking point. The basic social fabric of what we thought our lives were has been put on hold indefinitely. Many of us have lost loved ones. Many others have lost the meaning that secure and regular employment brings to a person’s life. Our sleep patterns have been disrupted. Our children made anxious by an invisible foe.

This seemingly endless lockdown has worn down the best of us. The nation’s mental health is clinging on by a thread – and that thread is decency.

None of this justifies the sickening scenes we witnessed on the streets of our capital yesterday. There are many among the protesters who may not have intended violence – and were exercising what they view as their right to assembly. But such assembly must be lawful.

And public health, whether you accept the science or not, is a legitimate reason for these restrictions. They have been passed by a legitimate Oireachtas and Government. The echo chambers of Twitter and Facebook hold no sway on the laws of the land.

This newspaper has repeatedly held lawmakers to account. We have repeatedly asked them to justify beyond meaningless platitudes their handling of the pandemic.

We have repeatedly called for a swift vaccination rollout, restricted by the only acceptable constraint, in our opinion, that of vaccine supply.

But despite failings in this Covid Coalition’s response to the unprecedented crisis, nothing can be used to justify the deliberate targeting of a member of An Garda Síochána with a firework. Irish people will not accept such thuggery. It cannot, and will not be allowed to stand.

An attack on a Garda is an attack on us all. It is an attack on decent society. It is true in normal ‘peace’ time and it is even truer in the extraordinary times in which we all find ourselves.

The brave men and women of An Garda Síochána have had to implement restrictions that they have no interest in upholding – other than the public interest.

They have done so with the dignity and integrity of a force that, despite many travails, still retains the basic trust of an often cynical nation.

Yesterday’s scenes were abhorrent. They were a disgrace. But it must be said that those protesters were very much in the minority. What you won’t see on the social media videos or the news report footage are the millions of Irish citizens who, despite being at the end of their tether, adhered to the restrictions. The millions who stayed at home – except for essential journeys. Or who exercised within their 5km.

We all wish for an end to lockdown. However, freedom from this virus will not be won through divisive action – but instead by coming together and proving that the best of our efforts take place when we choose to protect the vulnerable among us. When we place sacrifice over convenience. When we fight death with hope.

Justice for those who attempted to sow mindless revolt must be swift and targeted. The will of the Irish people is to end this pandemic with the least amount of death and disorder as possible. And that the freedoms that we have lain down, and the sacrifices we have all made, are used to protect the weakest among us.