Organisers condemn banning of May Day march

dublin | summit mobilisations | press release Friday April 30, 2004 13:53 by Joe

First time a march has been banned in independent Ireland

Dublin Grassroots Network, the group organising the "Bring the Noise"
march to Farmleigh House at 6 pm on Saturday evening, has
condemned Garda measures announced yesterday evening which
amount to the banning of the march. They have called on everyone with
an interest in civil liberties to gather at the GPO instead at the same
time for a meeting to protest the ban.

Spokesperson Dr Laurence Cox said, "What we have been told is that
demonstrators will be prevented from congregating and that the riot
squad will be waiting at Parkgate Street. In other words, anyone who
turned up at the meeting point would be in serious danger. We also
understand that protestors will be prevented from marching down the
South Quays, and that those who do will be "pushed into side streets"."

The measures were announced on Prime Time last night and were not
denied by Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche. DGN spokesperson
Dr Aileen O'Carroll said, "Our plans have been the subject of media
saturation for over a month now. We have distributed 50,000 leaflets
ourselves. While we are calling an alternative event, there is no way
that we can get that information to the 5 - 10,000 people expected to
take part between now and then.

"So we are talking about a situation where there will be large numbers of
isolated people, attempting to make their way to Parkgate Street and
meeting riot police. We have been saying for some time now that the
Government, gardai and media were advertising a riot with scare stories
about the Farmleigh march. We are now very concerned that these
measures have created a riot situation."

DGN has called on everybody concerned about civil liberties to come to
a open-air meeting outside the GPO at 6 pm on Saturday to make their
voice heard.

Dr Cox also condemned the attempts to create fear by encouraging
business owners to shut down for May Day. Referring to the minutes of
a meeting held in Store Street garda station with the Assistant
Commissioner and the City Centre Businessman's Association (posted
on Indymedia) and to eyewitness accounts of shopkeepers being visited
by gardai and encouraged to board up for May Day, he said these
actions were geared towards creating a panic.

"We call on people to remain calm and not to panic. At the same time
we note that this is the first time a march has been banned in Ireland
since the Dublin Lockout in 1913. For the first time in independent
Ireland, the State has prevented a protest in the name of European
democracy. We call on all those who care about the basic freedoms of
assembly and opinion to join us at the GPO on Saturday at 6 pm to
protect the right to protest."

ENDS