Mary Harney Visit to UCD Seriously Disrupted by Protests

national | miscellaneous | news report

Monday October 13, 2003 16:41

by UCD student

Harney comes in a Merc, leaves in the back of a van!

An Tánaiste and Leader of the PDs, Mary Harney had a large 'welcoming committee' in UCD's Belfield campus today.

150-200 UCD students participated in the SU protest against the threat to increase the Registration Charge to €1,300. After their experiences last year with Government Ministers, the College had invited a few paddy-wagons of Gardaí along aswell! When Harney's car arrived the students jumped the barricades. One student stopped her car. The Gardaí were very violent with the protesters as they jumped the barricades and tryed to block her path.

When she was inside she could hear all the chants outside. As she left the students again jumped the barricades and succeeded in getting on to the road. One student was arrested, however when students sat around the van they let him go.

There a re a number of incidents of assault by the Gardaí and the College services that will probably be persued.

After leaving the NOVA centre she went to the Science building to a YPD meeting. The protests continued outside. As a number of Students had her Ministerial Merc blockaded they had to bundle her out the back of the Science building into the back of a UCD Services van!