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Gardai build up arsenal for EU presidency protests dublin |
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news report
 Thursday October 16, 2003 19:24 by paranoid girl
 I am surprised no one noticed this article:
From The Sunday Times - October 12, 2003 Richard Oakley GARDAI are being trained in the use of pepper spray, CS gas and guns that shoot bean bags before Ireland begins hosting the EU presidency in January.< /br> The weapons are part of a non-lethal arsenal that gardai will deploy in the event of expected demonstrations from anti-globalisation activists and other protesters. A training programme for members of the emergency response unit (ERU), an elite, highly trained squad, is to be approved shortly. The weapons have already been tested by police in Northern Ireland as a crowd control measure during violent confrontations. They include shotgun cartridges filled with a bags of plastic beads and aerosol projectors of pepper spray. Michael McDowell, the justice minister, granted permission for the weapons to be bought and used by the ERU earlier this year. However, the force has until now been short of experts to train them. A Garda spokesman said a training programme is being devised and is likely to start in months. He said gardai would be trained in the use of the weapons in time for some of the main meetings being held in Ireland as a result of the EU presidency. Some of the presidency meetings are expected to attract huge numbers of protesters. Gardai are also concerned that global anarchist groups may orchestrate street riots. Similar meetings held throughout Europe have been marred by clashes between police and protesters. Gardai were dispatched on riot-control training with foreign police forces earlier this year. An intelligence-gathering operation is also under way to identify suspects planning to travel to Ireland. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has predicted that Ireland’s assumption of the EU presidency will attract thousands of militant anti-globalisation protesters from around the world. The Garda representative body has said that some peaceful protester groups will be infiltrated by others intent on violent clashes with the gardai. Gardai have identified May 1 as a potential flashpoint for trouble. The government is planning huge public events to celebrate the day on which 10 new countries will join the EU. Key international political meetings have often been focal points for violent protests. In May last year, gardai were investigated for using batons and physical force to break up a Reclaim the Streets protest. The 2001 European council of ministers meeting in Sweden was marred by three-day riots that caused damage worth ¤10m. The year before, a protester was shot and killed at a G8 meeting in Genoa. The use of non-lethal weapons was recommended in an internal Garda report into the fatal shooting of John Carthy by gardai during a siege at his home in Abbeylara. The bean bag shot, which will soon be introduced, does not penetrate the body but delivers a blow that temporarily incapacitates. Pepper spray can also immobilise a person when sprayed into their eyes at very close range. CS gas causes choking and can effectively break up crowds. During its presidency of the EU, Ireland will chair meetings throughout the country, and in Brussels and Luxembourg. Ireland will also host a meeting of European and Mediterranean countries that will include Israeli and Palestinian delegates, producing an obvious potential flashpoint. It is likely to be one of the most high-security events during Ireland’s presidency. Charlie McCreevy, the finance minister, will also host an Ecofin meeting of European finance ministers at Punchestown in his Kildare constituency. Text of article was originally snipped by one of the IMC editorial team as it was available at the related link. The original poster then pointed out that it's only available on the web site for a limited time to non-subscribers of the (UK) Times |
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Comments (11 of 11)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11sez that bush the 2nd is likely to be paying us a visit during the EU presidency too
And here was me thinking Eire's finest were required to police those nasty Limerickers that keep stepping out of line?
Were the ERU also the guys responsible for shootung dead one of their own officers in an attempt to foil a bank robbery in Dublin last year? (We needn't worry so, and with a bitta luck they'll take out Bertie for us)
"The 2001 European council of ministers meeting in Sweden was marred by three-day riots that caused damage worth €10m"
No mention of the shooting of protestors.
"An intelligence-gathering operation is also under way to identify suspects planning to travel to Ireland. "
But suspected of what?
"The Garda representative body has said that some peaceful protester groups will be infiltrated by others intent on violent clashes with the gardai. "
Ah yes, of course. I wonder will the state be infiltrating these same organisations to 'monitor potential subversives'?
And these 'bean bag rounds' (sounds very comfy doesn't it?) are commonly referred to as 'non-lethal' in the media, when in fact they are really called 'less-lethal' (whatever that means? they only half-kill you?) and can be leathl if hit in the head or neck, or used against eledely people or kids. Ah sure they're already locking up grannies, why not take a few out as well eh?
All in all, it looks like those Garda boyz that were stopped at customs with the riot gear where just being pro-active, getting a head start on the training.
And in answer to your forst question, I'd say the reason no-one else picke dup on this is cos most of us wouldn't waste our money or time reading the (London) Times - so nice one for finding this. I thnk it deserves to stay up.
Yours in paranoia,
Me
Actually it was on page 7 of the sunday times just gone, slightly different wording.
I liked the way that delightful article claimed that beanbag rounds cannot pierce flesh, ho ho ho, and dare i say my arse, they have no problem piercing flesh at an adequate range, also cs gas and pepper spray sound so innoculous and dont damage respiration and sight in the long term ho ho ho. Sounds a bit stupid. If anyone is going on a protest against gardai, we go unarmed (and i will continue to do so)because we know the gards arent going to fuck us up too bad, you go along you protest to whatever extent you can, and you hope your point gets across. with this news as an ordinary protestor who may get caught up, what can be done for self protection(as in armour) and once the gards take liberties with our rights whats to stop the whole thing descending out of control, as operation green stated 'the irish are well known as a belligerent race'. such devolopements are pointless and stupid and are only likely to make any situation worse. foolish and stupid. but thats the gards when they are allowed dream their totalitarian dreams.
just wait til the blueshirts get back in power. then we'll all be rightly sorted.
At the Head of the colum the media battalion, to be followed by everyone sitting at home watching TV, listening to radio and reading the funny mags.
What we really need is a judge O'Dread character to massage the insecurity of the faithful. To fill the empty space that the increasing lack of theological servatude has left. That it he'll be photo'd with blood and guts and a big red flag sticking out his rear end, and the faithful will love him and we shall take reverance to this icon of the state for all its worth, lovley.
Now any takers? I can get the red flag.
The same article in the Sunday Times also speaks of C.S. gas and bean bag batton rounds.However the context of "infiltration" seemed to refer to "anarchists" and the like from abroad.The monitoring of these bold people struck me as on par with how countries deal with hardcore football hooligans.
Not that it doesnt make for better press for regarding the garda if skulls do get cracked.
At recent events deploying the riot squad (public order unit) always seemed to be over the top and definitely make the situation worse, using the ERU (emergency response unit) can only be a further escalation in terror and force protesters to mask up, wear helmets etc, if only for their own protection.
.. goggles, face masks, a hurling helmet.
Balance is once more restored.
Theres nothing they can do to stop us really, if they get tooled up then they have already lost and we have already won. The stakes were bound to rise eventually, but it is they who have more to lose.
Well someone has to with that mad Russian building up Chelsea!
the author of this piece Richard Oakley is on the Irish Anarchism list (join at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irishanarchism/ ) and has responded to discussion as to why he is on that list, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irishanarchism/messages/1717
He never responded to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irishanarchism/message/1737 however where another journalist (who is also an anarchist) took apart a very similar article he wrote on the WEF.