Facts vs Facts

dublin | summit mobilisations | news report

Sunday May 02, 2004 23:20

by Ed Lee - NUJ/BA2's of Griff

fire_dragon54 at yahoo dot co dot uk

A simple retort to some comments made...

A few more pics for your consideration...

'Oh yeah now I feel like a man...'

Yes there are a lot of facts coming from all different directions.
But lemme just say this: Yes the authorities declared Phoneix Park would be closed off...but not the Navan road where all the shit happened. People had a right to free protest but yet the cops pushed the people all the way back down. I saw many people trying to calm the crowd down, scolding at hooded folks to stop throwing things and rallying the crowd by shouting 'peaceful protest.'
Let's face it, the so-called 'violent' protestors were anything but intimidating towards the police (c'mon the water cannon was a pussy, people ran away cos the wittle wascals were afraid of gettin wet, awww...well me too cos *ahem* i didn't want my expensive camera gettin the water treatment)
The hardest thing anyone hurled was a glass bottle, and that hit the ground before it reached any shield. The strongest 'weapon' i saw being used was a flag pole. I also saw someone using some sort of 'mini explosive' that they hurled at an unocuupied garda van, but that wasn't used against the riot police.
I was filming from the front lines and lots of people weren't provoking any sort of physical agression. Though i do admit when the Wombles approached there was a short period of aggravation, but after the water cannons were used they had lost the 'drive.' Yes things like bottles were thrown, but that's what the shields were for, i mean thank god they weren't molotov cocktails or something.
I did focus in a particular womble who took 2 bricks from a garden and approached near the police line but he eventually wussed out.
The police had no need to advance in as the crowd had no intention of pushing through anymore. Some just wanted to a 'sit down' protest but even they were lynched away as the guards advanced in on the already retreating crowd, and some just acted the bollix by prancing around drunk in front of them- these are the people the police are supposed to protect the public from?? The whole goddamn city centre is full of prancing drunks on a saturday evening!!
One particular image i have was when 3 people just stood there, raising the 'PACE' flag in front of the police line.
And for your information, 'Wilzer'(who made a comment http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64779): the guards were forcibly removing reporters like me off from the wall and in one particular instance they pushed & threatened an old man pushing his bicycle heading in their direction, who was funnily enough completely oblivious to what was going on. Can't argue there that the police were guilty on that part. Don't worry pal, i got it all on tape. Check the other pics i posted on my story 'Photos of Ashtown/Navan Rd.'

'ooh these bricks are too heavy!'