Guards and State shown up as liars-arrest political not criminal-Rory Hearne reports

national | miscellaneous | news report

Thursday March 14, 2002 10:15

by Rory Hearne - GLOBALISE RESISTANCE AND SWP

Yesterday the state's attempt to convict me under public order offences allegedly committed at the burlington hotel last october at an anti-privatisation demonstration were thrown out of court. The gardai could not provide enough evidence that i committed any breach of the peace.

of the peace. An interesting point was that the Garda Inspector over that night said there was no decision made at the time to hold all the 14 defendents over night. He claimed it was a 'coincidence' that the Seargeant in each station (the 14 were held in different stations) decided to hold them over night. Normally in minor public order offences those charged are released straight away. However, a junior garda, Garda Brendan O Halloran was asked why Rory Hearne was held over night he replied-'the seargeant said so'. The solicitor then asked did you ask the seargeant why? the gard responded-the seargeant told me he had been ordered to keep them all over night....so the Inspector was lying...the orders came from above. This shows it was a politically motivated arrest, as was all 14, none of the 14 committed any public order offences -they were arrested simply for being at a protest. We have beaten them on the first case-now we must make sure all are dismissed. SO come along on Moday night, Downstairs in Mono, Wexford St for a fundraiser for the defence campaign -Djs:DIxi from JazzFm and Eamonn Doyle- Rory Hearne