Garda 'Jokes' About Taking a Baton to Women and a Child In Galway On Anti-War/Occupation Protest

by danny Wed Apr 16, 2003 17:04 danny at hotmail dot com

That Garda was right to put u straight about a few things. I mean what were you and a load of other women out marching for in the first place. Just why weren't you at home making your husband's dinner?

I hope his strong hand tactics act to shock that little 10-year-old boy into becoming a proper man and help him realise what's what in terms of the sexes.

by Josef Wed Apr 16, 2003 17:05

Problem with you activists, utterly humourless.

by humour king Wed Apr 16, 2003 18:56

i'm all for protesting against the war, but don't take things so seriously!

by equality in law Wed Apr 16, 2003 19:14

If you made a 'joke' of that nature towards a Garda, judge or TD you'd likely find yourself on a charge.
So we should complain any rude, unprovoked, unprofessional, threatening remarks from Gardai, judges or TDs.

People don't make enough complaints of this nature in this country.

No force polices itself, drown them in complaints paperwork until at least some of them get manners.

by Maggie Wed Apr 16, 2003 19:57

Interesting, clearly some don't know how to respond to or organise in relation to the police or have never put themselves in the way of the police [apart from equality before law comment, thanks]. When you are organising in this way as a bunch of women with children, you are aware that you need to do your action/make your point but also prevent any violence from happening to you and others if possible and this includes warning the police off when they try it on which is the point of making the complaint, writing about it on indymedia etc [Gardai's fave web site, 'private Garda correspondence' they told us when we asked to see the indymedia.ie photocopies they were reading so avidly on our army barracks protest!]. Never, ever accepting as normal any intimidating, violent or threatening behaviour or sexist, racist crap, even so called jokes.

by Barney Wed Apr 16, 2003 21:06

Just go and have a pint for yourself Maggie, like a good girl and don't be causing bother to the police. They work hard under difficult enough circumstances without the like of you giving them lip.

by kokomero Wed Apr 16, 2003 23:18

Remember how the Gardai waded into the reclaim the streets protesters last year and how it was only brought to the attention of the media by IMC.

One of the chief protagonists was a "community" Garda.

You can bet the Gardai involved laughed their heads off in the station afterwards until they saw themselves on TV.

I'm with Maggie on this one, this is no laughing matter.

by pat c Thu Apr 17, 2003 09:58

Why not make a complaint to his Superintendant and to the Garda Complaints Tribunal.

by Terry Thu Apr 17, 2003 14:11

Well reported Maggie and dead right to report it too.

Eh Danny, Josef, what's your position on the war then or the right to free assembly and protest?
You obviously found the garda's joke amusing? I am sure there were many 'funny' jew jokes knocking
around in Germany in the 1930s. If you were there then, would you also have sneered at those who didn't
find them amusing?

by Maggie Thu Apr 17, 2003 15:47

yes, we did.