The Pink Ladies

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Scenes from outside Coolock Garda Station in Dublin, on Tuesday night.

John Ayres writes:

“Up to 200 women stood in silence, their presence spoke volumes. Occasionally cars used their horns in support but the silence stood and was not broken. Many women are up from 5am to get ready to go to protests – on Tuesday night they stood for over an hour.

Photos by John Ayres

Meanwhile…

“You have made a very serious mistake here today. I think it is an historic day, as the minister said. Ye had an opportunity to listen, ye had an opportunity to step back and abolish the charges and Irish Water. You haven’t taken that opportunity. And the reality is, is that no one can govern against the will of the people. And you’ve lost the will and the mandate of people and, honestly, your days are now numbered. And if you had any respect for yourself, you really should go to the people and call a general election because we’ve had to listen to a lot of waffle about democracy, from the Taoiseach over the weekend, aided and abetted by some of his friends in the media, trying to discredit a people’s movement, trying to insult people? That they would allow themselves to be led by a sinister fringe? Where was the coverage to the 200 women in Coolock who peacefully protested outside the [Garda] station last night?”

“Those who are undermining democracy are not in the communities, they’re sitting across the way there because ye went to the people. You said, ‘vote for Labour and we’ll save you from Fine Gael’s water charges’. Fine Gael said, ‘vote for us and we’ll never bring in a charge unless meters are in’. That’s not democracy, that is fraud. And you have betrayed the people of this country, you’ve succeeded in awakening a sleeping giant of the Irish people. And, do you know what, now that they’re awake, they actually like it and they’re not going back into their box. December the 10th will be absolutely enormous, in my opinion. I don’t think you’ll survive it, unless you cop on before that. But if you try and limp along, after that date, you will find that this charge will be absolutely uncollectable by the time you try and bring it in and collect that in April. But I strongly suspect that it’s not going to be your problem because you’ll probably be gone before then.”

United Left Alliance TD, Clare Daly, addressing Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil yesterday

RTÉ News (Facebook)

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123 thoughts on “The Pink Ladies

  1. oblongo

    ‘Gardai stop violence against women’ – as if it’s an ongoing scourge plaguing society. absolute maudlin exaggerated nonsense.

    1. Am I Still on this Island?

      It is. Remember the ‘rape tape’ Garda? He was allowed to retire unpunished. He’s not an unusual case.

      1. Helen 2.0

        So the best example you can come up with to support this “brutality against women” is an inappropriate remark made in 2011?

          1. Am I Still on this Island.

            Ok, ok, we get it, you pay for prostitutes and don’t consider that you are harming them, they all want to sleep with you so bad.

          1. Happy Molloy

            it’s gas how people are bringing up the rape tape again. it was completely discounted at the time.
            remember the lady wouldn’t get in the car with a male garda suggesting he might rape her. they didn’t release that bit, only the part where the gardai were joking about it after.

            when that came to light the rape tape was ridiculed and ignored but now it’s back when people like you hope everyone has forgotten what actually happened.

            your furrowed brow must ache

          1. Happy Molloy

            should the accusation of intention to rape be seen as a weapon?

            anyway, this “threat ” of rape was not actually delivered to anyone

      1. Am I Still on this Island.

        If you read the posters they’re carrying, you’ll see that they’re protesting at Gardai assaulting women.

    2. Bonkers

      I think it was the Savage Eye who had the sketch in Templemore where a classroom full of student Gardai repeat over and over:
      ‘Domestic disputes will sort themselves out. Domestic disputes will sort themselves out’

      Then last week the Garda Inspectorate report came out and didn’t reveal a very good picture of the Gardais relationship with women, the primary sufferers of domestic abuse. According to the report in 2013 alone there were over 13,000 callls to the Gardai in relation to domestic disputes. Those 13,000 call outs, many of them made in total panic of a violent domestic abuser, resulted in a grand total of 271 arrests. By my calculation thats about 2% of all call outs to domestic disputes resulted in an arrest with 98% of the 13,000 calls resulting in no arrests made. What sort of signal do the Gardai think that sends to men (or women) who abuse their partner?

      Dave McSavage was bang on the money ‘Domestic disputes will sort themselves out, Domestic disputes will sort themselves out’

  2. Spaghetti Hoop

    Is this women against ‘Garda violence’ or against domestic violence and looking for Garda intervention?
    If it’s the former, we need the stats. If it’s the latter, the systems are in place and it’s down to reporting incidents.

      1. Kin Kong Ovo

        I see you’ve posted this a few times now.
        This isn’t gardai assaulting anyone.
        This is gardai clearing a public order offender from the path of the car carrying the head of state, arguably a very dangerous situation. Holding up the car creates an opportunity to attack it and it’s occupants.
        ANY other country and those “protesters” would be locked up and would be lucky to get away with being thrown out of the traffic.

  3. edalicious

    I always hear about things on the news in the morning and then read somebody complaining about the fact that mainstream media aren’t covering it later in the day.

    1. Mikeyfex

      Well done for what? I’m not trying to be smart. I don’t get this. Is it general violence against women? or police brutality, as one placard says.

      I’ve written out and deleted about four comments now cos this just has me confused.

      Happened tuesday night; some people are up since 5am to protest?
      Slightly conflicting signs.
      Isolated protest for a potentially nationwide issue.
      Then the Clare Daly bit

      Please don’t misread my tone and tell me I’m living in a bubble or some other beaut like that, I’m just after clarity.

      1. Mister Mister

        The cynic in me thinks Clare Daly is using, and exaggerating this, to use it as a political football.

      2. Goosey Lucy

        Mikeyfex, I too am v v confused. What is this protest about????!!!!
        Water charges?
        Violence against women in Irish society in general?
        Domestic violence?
        Gardai violence against women?
        ????
        Somebody clarify, please

  4. Luke

    I’m genuinely confused. Is this a protest about water charges or violence against women? If it’s the latter, why is Claire Daly even mentioning it alongside water charges?

    I live in Coolock and haven’t heard of any rise in violence against women, this all seems very out of the blue.

    1. Bobby

      Yeah, it’s really confusing as to what the protest was about. I’ve heard it mentioned a few times over the week and still am not sure what exactly it’s in regards to.

    2. Am I Still on this Island.

      If you read the posters they’re carrying, you’ll see that they’re protesting at Gardai assaulting women.

      1. Mister Mister

        The point is, what assaults ? The removal of women during certain protests ? Or random assaults by gardai ?

        When does it become an assault, to remove a man is fine, but to remove a woman in the same way makes it an assault ?

          1. Clampers Outside!

            It’s not strawman.

            If there’s a strawman, it’s making out that the Gardaí are singling out women for brutality in the protests which is what these women are saying.

            And that’s total nonsense !

          2. Mister Mister

            As clampers said, it’s not a strawman. Both men and women are being removed from obstructing whatever they’re obstructing during these protests.

            But what makes this garda brutality in the case of women ?

        1. John

          Ah shure don’t you know that all the guards are fascist hired muscle for Irish Water and Dennis O’ Brien and that nobody ever, anywhere has been justifiably pushed or moved out of the way without extreme unwarranted violence against these peaceful protesters…

  5. Clampers Outside!

    When did this turn into a sexist thing… when did the Irish Water protests get hijacked by this distraction….

    Turning the incident with the “bollard lady” (and any others) into some sort of sexist brutality by the Gardaí which is what this is essentially doing is completely wrong and wholly dismissive of any treatment received by the men in these protests.

    Never in all the videos watched have I seen a Gardaí single out women for particular attention and until that can be pointed out, I will continue to believe what I have seen, which is that any actions by the Gardaí have been indiscriminate of gender.

    I’m not supporting this claptrap !

      1. ReproBertie

        That was not said to a protestor. It was said in the presence of a protestor’s camera which was recording at the time. The protestor was not even in the garda car when that was said.

        It was already an inapporpriate thing to say without you adding misinformation to try and increase the outrage.

        1. Am I Still on this Island.

          Oh, that’s grand so. As long as the Garda said it to the camera and not the protester. He must be a lovely man. I’d be proud to have him as a husband or father.

          1. ReproBertie

            I said it was inappropriate.You’re being a dick because your attempt to fuel outrage was exposed. No doubt you’ve never said anything in private that was in any way inappropriate.

          2. Am I Still on this Island.

            He was on duty, it wasn’t a private remark. And no, I’m male and have never made a rape threat.

          3. ReproBertie

            Not all inappropriate things said are rape threats.

            He was on duty in a garda car with two other gardaí driving back to the station. You’re trying to portray it as if he was shouting it through a megaphone on O’Connell St.

      2. Clampers Outside!

        Are you going to mix it up now with the ‘bollard lady’ and the Corrib incident from a few years ago…. seriously…. you’re going to put those two together and tell me that this is some sort of endemic Garda brutality problem against women.

        Two incidents, one of which was wholly gender neutral. So all you have to go on is the Corrib incident from back in 2011….

        If there is more gender specific Garda brutality, let me know….. let us all know… and I’m sure many will join the cause, but so far all I’ve heard or seen is that line you’re spewing from Corrib in 2011 and nothing else…. seriously..! ? …that is not what is going on here.

        1. Mani

          This commenter has proved in the past to be utterly moronic on this topic so don’t expect to get anywhere except stupid.

          1. ReproBertie

            That only protestor I see being hurt there is male.

            Plenty of abuse being hurled at the gardaí while they try to help the man after he has a fit but that’s proably OK, right?

          2. ReproBertie

            Not that I’m saying it’s OK to hurt male protestors, just that it’s a strange choice of footage to defend the argument that the gardaí are being violent towards female protestors.

          3. Clampers Outside!

            That’s another gender neutral incident.

            It doesn’t show anything about gender specific Gardaí brutality which is what you have been stating is the case.

            None of the videos you have posted show Garda brutality exercised or targetd towards women.

          1. deliverancecountry

            You’re still on this island.
            Hang in their.
            It would be interesting to hear how the taxi drivers and farmers can seize up the city without fear of molestation.
            With regards to the protests I don’t think screaming at Guards or threatening workers is useful for your cause or to gain support. The exact opposite I would think.

    1. Mister Mister

      Absolutely. I abhor violence against women, or anyone, but this is being made a political football.

      In some of these videos you can hear people shouting that it’s a woman, it’s a woman, stop, stop.

      Do women become exempt from the law in such protests ?

      1. droid

        For some reason people generally view violence against women as particularly deplorable. Interesting to see that you dont share that view.

        1. Mister Mister

          Interesting to see that you’re intellectually diminished in some way, first sentence in the post you’re replying to
          “I abhor violence against women, or anyone”

  6. DazzaMazza

    Powerful? Its complete bullshit. Sorry but its as if we now have a rent-a-cause group who through social media and hyperbole are blowing any event out of all proportion and opportunistic politicians join them.
    Exactly what ‘violence’ against women have we seen in Coolock? So far the most ‘shocking’ piece of footage is a girl getting pushed out of the way of a car and that was in the city centre. Yes she was pushed towards a bollard but I’m doubtful if the gardai (while careless) aimed her at a bollard or had violence in mind.
    If for a second women were being assaulted or beaten by Gardai then it would be all over social media in video or photograph form. But nothing apart from a push. That’s it. What violence? Are you seriously trying to tell me that women have been hit or beaten and we’re hearing nothing through social media or the news. In the current environment a broken fingernail is painted as a life threatening incident.
    Bullshit.

    1. droid

      And at least three women being thrown violently to the ground in Santry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh5ANBwi2Ms There more if you could b arsed to look.

      If this utterly unprofessional behaviour continues from the guards, someone will crack their skull open or worse. It is completely the wrong way to act in these circumstances. If a protestor is in the way, you restrain them and move them safely to the side to take whatever action is necessary. You don’t not simply fling or push them to the ground like a the school bully on a rampage.

      1. Clampers Outside!

        There are plenty of incidents of similar happening to men. Why should these be held up as some sort of attack on women… they are not they are incidents involving ‘protesters’.

        Why don’t you show the many numbers of incidents where three or four Gardaí with their shields and batons cornered in male protestors against park fences, why are those different?

        The Gardai and handling the protestors male or female indiscriminately.

        1. droid

          Its simple.

          There is Gardai brutality against men and women at protests.

          Those in the vigil in Coolock were women, who wished to highlight the Gardai brutality against women in particular (violence against women being seen by many in society as particularly deplorable).

          This does not mean that there is no Gardai brutality against men, nor that women protesters are not concerned about brutality against all protestors

          Simply that as women, they wish to highlight the violence against women.

          This is not difficult to understand.

          1. droid

            Yes, when you put it that way its obvious your correct.

            HOW DARE THESE WOMEN HIGHLIGHT GARDA VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN??? WHO WILL THINK OF THE MEN??!!!!!!

          2. droid

            Its been explained to you in a reasonable manner in several different ways yet you deliberately fail to understand. Maybe you cant comprehend the points as youre too busy grinding your axe. I dont know, but when rationality fails, mockery seems like the appropriate next step.

          3. deliverancecountry

            So where are the men?
            Why aren’t they standing there demanding peaceful solutions to peaceful protests?
            “Stop hitting men! And threatening us with prison rape. It’s awful.”
            Something like that anyway.
            If the protestors are abusive and threatening or hit vehicles then they should be arrested and charged.
            Unless they get a sound judge who lets them off and wastes Garda time and resources.

  7. droid

    Its not that complicated. there have been several videos of women being thrown violently to the ground at protests. There are reports of women and children being pepper sprayed at protests. There have reportedly been hundreds of complaints, and I imagine the people in communities who have been victims of heavy handed policing have ample documentation.

    All of this is completely contrary to safe and effective policing of protests, as that radical anarchist tom Clonan pointed out on RTE yesterday: http://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2014/1119/20141119_rteradio1-seanorourke-howtohandl_c20684430_20684438_232_/20141119_rteradio1-seanorourke-howtohandl_c20684430_20684438_232_.mp3

      1. droid

        There are a lot of women at the protests, and as a result a lot of violence and intimidation is being directed at women. These are women involved in the protests and they wish to highlight this issue,

        If you wish to dictate to them what to protest about then Im sure you could get in touch fairly easily. Alternately, you could make your own protest regarding the treatment of ‘both genders’. There are all kinds of options available to you.

          1. Mister Mister

            And what about the men on these protests, they get a much more pleasant glare from the gardai and are asked to kindly step aside sir ?

          1. droid

            You seem to have trouble comprehending the idea that in any protest movement there will be a range of people with different approaches and different concepts of what the movement is about. That does not mean that other views are automatically excluded.

            Personally, when I see middle aged women being flung face first into the ground, or hear of children and teenagers being pepper sprayed by people whose job it is to protect and serve the populace, it bothers me in a particular way as these victims are generally unable to defend themselves physically in a way that men in the same situation may be able to.

            Therefore I don’t see a big problem with highlighting this particular aspect of Gardai behaviour as I think it is particularly despicable to attack protesters who generally offer little or no physical threat to anyone.

  8. Helen 2.0

    Why should I be treated different if I want to protest? Should there be an exclusively female force to deal with women? Are women not able to assault men? What happened to being treated equal after the efforts so many women went to for those rights?

      1. Helen 2.0

        Sorry….I’m just at a loose end these days ever since my husband treated me to a new dishwasher and washing machine last Christmas.

  9. Fe Dlowered

    Looks like Clare Daly is now a 2 Trick Pony. Water Charges and Garda Brutality against Women. Wonderful, give her the leadership of the state now, she’ll do a fine job.

    1. Mister Mister

      She can only handle 2 tricks at a time., She’s now abandoned those she convinced not to pay their bin and management fees. Jesus, she really stitched up some of those people she convinced didn’t have to pay their property management fees.

        1. Clampers Outside!

          …soooo, your attempt to make this into something that it is not fails… and now you resort to rape jokes.

          Rape jokes about the incident you were trying to draw attention to.

          I’m stunned to be honest.

      1. Rob_G

        No matter how many times you post that video, it will still be a video of some young lad collapsing on the ground, and the gardaí carrying him awkwardly in a way that, though I’m sure it was uncomfortable, can hardly be classed as ‘brutality’.

        1. Am I Still on this Island?

          Pulling a person’s head across tarmac and concrete causing that person to go into seizure isn’t brutality? I’d not like to be your girlfriend.

        2. droid

          Dear god man, they picked him up and dragged his head across the road. At the very least it is a complete failure to act with the required care required to ensure public safety.

          Its incredible the lengths some people will go to to justify the actions of authority.

          1. droid

            Sure, dragging someones head across the pavement causing him to go into a fit isnt brutality, its just ”awkward’ and uncomfortable’.

            No justification or downplaying of acts of authority there whatsoever.

  10. A Man, On The Internet

    “I’m a man, a man on the internet and I haven’t seen or read anything about this subject, it’s not on reddit, or buzzfeed, it isn’t on facebook or gawker, it isn’t even trending on twitter.. As such there is literally no way for me to comprehend that how another group of people might feel strongly enough about to leave their homes at 5am to protest an issue that I’m not aware of, yet have none the less have formed strong opinions about. So now I’m going to type some words on my keyboard here about it how displeased I am about this situation, a set of circumstances I became aware of only moments ago. I’m going to click the button, and then people all over the world will be able to see my important words, on the internet, and stopping responding to the issue (the does not affect me in anyway) in a way that displeases me. Signed, a man. A man on the internet.”

    1. Mani

      Please don’t think this is a gender-based comment or observation, because it isn’t. You’re a moron. Your’e not doing what you deem your cause any good whatsoever, in fact the best thing you can do for ‘the cause’ is to keep from verbally diarrhoeaing all over the internet. And again this isn’t a man telling a silly woman to keep her mouth shut, this is a man telling a moron that maybe less is more.

      1. A Man, On The Internet

        One question, why do you assume that was written by a woman?

        It wasn’t, it was written by a dude.

        Nice prejudice there Mani, or should I say MANi.. xxx

        1. Clampers Outside!

          You need to read his post again :)

          He even clarifies it for you at the beginning, and if you don’t understand the flow thereafter in his post you need to go back to school…. ’cause Clitus, you don’ min’ me call you Clitus, you done read no good.

    2. Mikeyfex

      Hah. Come off it.

      What good is a protest when your audience aren’t clear what it’s for even after it’s finished.

      There isn’t one comment here having a go at women but feel free there to help these ladies photographed widen that gap again.

    3. Chamos

      The tone here began as one of confusion rather than displeasure. If you have more information on this protest, please share it.

  11. notlucas

    Damn app…
    The point is by highlighting a few examples of excessive force tells the Gardai we’re watching their behaviour closely. Nothing says excessive force more than violence against women. By protesting silently makes it more poignant.

    Let’s not get our knickers in a twist. They’re not saying that there’s no violence against men. Theyre not saying all use of force is excessive. They’re saying be respectful. I can’t understand how some of you don’t get this.

    1. Caroline

      You can say this for the protesters, they’ve certainly bamboozled the usually razor-sharp denizens of the BS comments section. This dada-esque performance art as protest is a true enigma for our times.

    1. Alfred E. Neumann

      They need to do way instain gaurds who throw down the woman. because these wamon cant frigth back?

    2. Anne

      haha. Oh you’re a hoot Caroline.

      what is woman

      I’m afraid some of the men on here haven’t seen a tit since mammies, and that was a long time ago.

  12. Mikeyfex

    A general comment about the way the Gardai have conducted themselves in these protests in question. These protests are probably new scenarios to most of the force. There’s a lot going on. There’s adrenaline, confusion, and fear. I’m not defending that some of them have used excessive force in the heat of the moment; I want to make the point that their training and preparation for these situations is undoubtedly lacking. What they *would* be trained to do in any situation is to kerb any potential problem as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, safety has been compromised on a few of these occasions. So that’s what I mean by proper, situation-specific training. I’m also 100% willing to stand by my theory that not one of them goes along to a peaceful water protest with the intention of busting a few heads, as most reasonable people at these protests understand and reciprocate.

    But then of course I’m biased, a policeman helped me out of a jam last week so I think they’re all legends. And they all own a crowbar, handy for when your tyre has seized to your wheel hub. And they’re all left handed. And they’re all called Ollie.

    1. droid

      Its true. Posted a link above to Tom Cloonan saying the same.

      Point is they shouldn’t be policing water meter installation in the first place in the way that they are.

      1. Dubloony

        Maybe it wouldn’t be necessary if workers were not locked in vans, followed home, spat at and threatened. Gardai don’t just turn up for no reason.

        Everyone needs to take a deep breadth and calm down. Getting ridiculous.

    2. ReproBertie

      The gardaí are making mistakes in the handling of the protests because they are outnumbered, unprepared and under huge pressure. They are also showing admirable restraint in the face of some incredible abuse from self proclaimed peaceful protestors. They are in a no win situation and when they called in the unit trained to deal with protests they were accused of heightening tensions and asked to withdraw them.

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