The Most Dangerous Man In Ireland

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90387073Julien Mercille hi res

From top: Paul Murphy TD; Dr Julien Mercille

The targeting of Paul Murphy TD and the surveillance of Irish Water protesters are part of a Europe-wide attempt to criminalise dissent. A struggle exemplified by Spain’s incredible anti-protest laws.

Dr Julien Mercile writes:

Last week, we heard about yet another example of political policing in Ireland, which is certainly not the only country not to respect its citizens’ right to protest.

The Irish Daily Mail revealed that Gardai have been secretly spying on water protesters for six months, under the codename Operation Mizen. The Operation was established following the Jobstown protests last November.

The Garda team is led by Jim McGowan, the husband of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan. It has compiled profiles of protesters and gathered information on their whereabouts and activity on social media. The Operation is currently restricted to Dublin, but is expected to spread nationally.

The top target is understood to be Paul Murphy TD. The police say the operation seeks to “prevent crime”, but of course, unless you believe in the fantasy that Paul Murphy is the source of crime in this country, it is a clear act of political policing, meaning that its purpose is to track and possibly arrest those who dissent from government-troika policy.

Ireland now looks like a “Big Brother” surveillance state, and an inefficient one at that. How much of taxpayers’ money is spent on Operation Mizen? This illustrates yet again that austerity is very selective. If you have cancer, your health services will be cut. If you’re a deluded police officer plotting to arrest water charge protesters in the belief that this will reduce crime in the country, you’ll get extra funding, and perhaps even a promotion if you catch “ringleader” Paul Murphy.

The Irish Daily Mail strongly opposed Operation Mizen, and rightly so. The newspaper called it “profoundly disturbing” and “not proper in a free and open democracy” because protest is a “fundamental right”. It said, correctly, that placing political protesters under general surveillance is reminiscent of a “police state”.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has been questioned about what she knew about the Operation. Of course, if she knew anything, that would make the whole scheme even more outrageous. But we’re still awaiting for answers from her. Government officers have always felt an urgency to implement austerity, but never to answer questions that might make them look bad.

Ireland is not alone in conducting political policing. In Spain, for example, an anti-protest law just came into force on 1 July. Enacted by the pro-troika, right-wing government of Mariano Rajoy, the new law, as in Ireland, comes in the wake of protests that erupted in reaction to austerity.

The law has been criticised by civil society, NGOs, human rights experts and organisations. According to polls, only a small minority of the Spanish population support the law. All opposition parties have said they would repeal the law if they obtain a majority in the general election later this year.

For example, Amnesty International described it as “an assault on the rights of its citizens” because it restricts rights to peaceful assembly, association and freedom of expression. It criminalises some legitimate forms of protest and increases penalties for others.

Human Rights Watch said that the laws “unjustifiably curtail basic human rights protections”.

For example, filming police is now restricted and carries fines of up to €30,000 for those who disseminate footage. (Filming has been essential to prove excessive use of force by the police in recent years during protests).

Other restrictions include demonstrating near the parliament, while police are allowed to fine people participating in peaceful resistance actions if authorities have called for the break-up of the gathering. Also, blocking home evictions is criminalised, an activity that has become very common in Spain during the crisis.

Social media is also targeted. A person writing on Facebook or Twitter that there will be a protest at a given place can be held responsible for the said demonstration.

Minor offences will translate into fines or €100 to €600, serious offences up to €30,000 and very serious offences up to €600,000.

The government maintains that the new law aims to protect the security of citizens. But all opinion polls show that Spaniards are preoccupied by economic problems and political corruption, not by security.

In short, surveillance is growing here and elsewhere. This is a rational strategy on the part of those in power, who use force and spies because they cannot win through debate and argument. Unfortunately for them, the facts do not support their propaganda, and people know it.

Julien Mercille is a lecturer at UCD. His new book, Deepening Neoliberalism, Austerity, and Crisis: Europe’s Treasure Ireland (Palgrave) is out. Twitter: @JulienMercille

(RollingNews.ie)

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131 thoughts on “The Most Dangerous Man In Ireland

  1. Jonotti

    The usual rabble screaming about political policing. The superintendent decision is legal and logical.

    Murphy is willingly breaking the law and encourages his supporters to do likewise. They have every opportunity to protest in a reasonable manner but refuse to do so.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      Yes, good man, please do ignore all the fascistic police state measures and focus on your penis really determinedly, holding it with both hands there Jonotti. Both hands!

      Good lad.

      1. Jonotti

        Please. The same police state that had no problem shutting down Dublin city so people could exercise their right to protest.

          1. Mister Mister

            But you still argue that we live in a state that implements fascist police measures to curb dissent when the same state closes off roads on one of the city’s main thoroughfares to allow the same dissenters hold a massive march and protest ?

          2. Fergus the magic postman

            The state closed off roads not to allow the protests, but to avoid the chaos that would ensue with traffic otherwise, but nice try.

        1. Mr. T.

          That’s not true in the slightest and it’s impossible to be an ‘unelected MEP’ you pathetic troll.

    2. Jones

      Jonotti, what sources do you use to base your opinions?

      Don’t you know that you’re supposed to read Rabble and the AntiMedia (and their various links) as gospel??

      I must be the only person on BS who find your opinion rational.

      1. italia'90

        How often do you reply to yourself Jon, Jockster, Jonotti, Bob, Rugbyfan and the friggin rest!?

        You are not even entertaining at this stage.

    3. Bosco

      Jonotti, legislation is rules not law, robing a bank is against the law, stabbing someone is against the law, Irish water is a monumental scam and the so called gardai are a disgrace

    4. bob

      oh blow it our your hole you moron. It IS political policing. Theres no excuse for this other than Political policing. You clearly dont believe in democracy. Why not deny food and drink to protesters on the grounds that it might give them the energy to carry out illegal activities. Go back to sleep you idiot

  2. Pedantic Pat

    Murphy is inciting people to commit crime by refusing to pay his water charges, and encouraging others to do the same. Therefore he is a source of crime in this country.

    Aside from the fact that he’s a complete gimp.

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      “Crime”. Non payment of these water charges is a crime in the same way jay walking is. Are you going to start saying people who cross the street when there isn’t any pedestrian lights are criminals? What about teachers who photocopy pages out of schoolbooks and hand them out to their pupils. Are they “criminals”?

    2. ollie

      Pedantic Pat , non payment of water charges isn’t a crime. Jesus I hate the blueshirts that come on here we troll their uneducated crap.

  3. Joxer

    its a crime now to not pay this water charge? i thought the ‘crime’ they are trying to pin on Water protestors was some obstruction nonsense?

    1. Jonotti

      Is it a crime to eat in a restaurant and not pay the bill? Yes.
      Whilst non payment of some bills can be considered a civil debt, purposely engaging in a service with no intention of paying is a theft of other property.

      1. Joxer

        Water is already being and has been paid for….

        and how can i steal from myself? seeing as the water is owned by society and me being part of that society….. well no need to go on.

        1. Rob_G

          By that logic, any citizen of Ireland could go into a hospital and walk out with a television, given that the health services are owned by society, each citizen is a part of society, and it is impossible to steal from yourself.

          1. Joxer

            Not so Rob. That is a crime.

            walking in the countrtyside and taking a cup of water from a stream is a crime? come on….

            but i will say that if IW is sold off to a private company (Nestle,Goldman Sachs or JPM or other) then taking that cup of water will be a crime

          2. Vote Rep #1

            Are you saying that the cleaned water that comes out you tap is the same as that which flows in a stream? Are you an idiot?

          1. ollie

            But now that IW is a state entity any charges imposed are considered taxation. As we have already finded IW via tax (car tax and vat, we have already paid for water)
            For info:
            IW received a subvention of €439 million in 2014 and is expected to receive €399 million and €479 million in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
            30% of the local property tax revenue collected in 2014 was also diverted to Irish Water. That’s money that was supposed to go the provid local services, NOT water and the govt knew that when property tax was implemented.
            By the end of 2016 the taxpayer will have given €3 BILLION to IW. This doesn’t include directly raised revenue.

            To dtae IW have spent €500milion on useless water meters. That sort of spend would have repaired around 50,000 major leaks.

            Bottom line is this; we are being asked to fund a quango that has no control in palce for spending of taxpayers money, that has a workforce on twicw the UK avergae salary, that has twice the number of employees of a similar sized UK netowrk, and that has a CEO with a track record of failure.

            If this was advertised on kickstarter as a start up model would you sign up?

          2. Clampers Outside!

            Ollie, I’m not defending IW, and never have. I believe we should have water charges but am not happy with the quango approach of govt. either.

            I can see we both agree the quango and its upper staff have to go, and it’s an extremely wasteful setup (thank you Phil Hogan) compared to others abroad, but no matter how much I hate and dislike IW as it is, I’m not going to delude myself that “we already pay” is enough to cover the upgrading for a system that the EU has been telling successive governments to do since the early 80s at least.

            That delusion is not one of mine, and I have many.

      2. bob

        moron. get back in the pen with the sheeple of ireland. WE ALREADY PAY! and besides, its not just Watercharges that the Anti Austerity Alliance are against… or doesnt the NAME of that group give you a hint? Clearly not. Youre too busy being a finegael labour drone to think for yourself.

  4. Eejit

    I don’t see anything wrong with Gardaí gathering intelligence and surveillance data on people who openly flout the law and seek to falsely imprision democratically elected individuals.

      1. Rob_G

        Yes, Fluffy, being obliged to pay for the water that you use is an injustice on a par with slavery…

        *facepalm*

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          Yeah, I think you’re the only one here who thinks he’s equating water charges to slavery.

          1. fluffybiscuits

            I cited slavery as an example of what happens when people take an unjust action and use civil disobedience to bring the law to heal. All of it is a balancing act between the justice of the state and the justice by society.

        2. Anne

          Perfect time for a quote or two –

          “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
          ― Martin Luther King Jr.

          Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.”
          ― Howard Zinn

          “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law”
          ― Martin Luther King Jr.”

          Now, read um slowly and go way and ponder those quotes for a while.
          Come back to us when you’ve done that… kk That’s for Eejit and Rob G

          1. Rob_G

            I think MLK was talking about people being denied the right to vote, etc, based on their skin colour; not on having to pay for the provision and treatment of their water.

        3. seani

          you simple minded clown. Thats not what hes saying . Its an injustice to be forced to pay more than once for something. Its a greater injustice to be denied the right to organise and fund a legitimate protest group. in fact its draconian and oppressive. The Law and Justice are not the same thing. Sometimes the law must be broken in order to get justice. Once you remove your head from your backside you might actually realise that.

      2. Steve

        Indeed. All Christians have a duty to obey unjust laws. Ultimately, all people of free will have this duty.

  5. Rugbyfan

    Wonder does Mr. Murphy pay his TV licence or am I covering him for that too!

    I think there is a dangerous undertone to the protests and would suggest that potentially some of the attendees are not in the least interested in the Water charge but purely there for trouble.

        1. Clampers Outside!

          Sounds like Joan’s approach of demonising protests is working. Some guy has trenchant views about the bleedin’ hunger strikes over 30 years ago…. oh, ffs!

          Considering the level of protest we’ve seen on, and comparing to, the continent, nothing particularly ‘violent’ has happened in the Irish IW protests. The IW protests would have to get a hell of a lot worse to meet the protests on the continent.

        1. Neilo

          No worries, clamps. I enjoyed your response and appreciate how animated you are by this discussion.

    1. ollie

      “I think there is a dangerous undertone to the protests”. My 75 year old mother protested, she’ll be delighted to hear that your’e afraid of her!!!

    2. Conn

      “I think there is a dangerous undertone to the protests and would suggest that potentially some of the attendees are not in the least interested in the Water charge but purely there for trouble.”

      Ha. Even if you were actually right… that’s a pathetic comment to make and beautifully illustrates the government tripe

      It’s like me saying: “Ireland, on a whole, has a pretty decent crime rate. It’s not the most dangerous country to live in by any standards… however, I do think there are some criminals there. For that reason, I think outside countries should buy up all Ireland’s assets in secret shady deals with brown envelopes and only the richest in Ireland should benefit; ideally whilst crippling those worst off and forcing some towards homelessness and/or suicide”

    3. Jones

      Absolutely. They seem more interested in getting arrested and becoming martyrs to their Marxist cause than anything else.

    4. tony H

      bullpoo. define ‘trouble’? that is without your Nanny state interpretation of it. IE not blindly obeying your ‘masters’ in Govt or their bullyboy gardai. Looks like rubyfanny in yet another member of the Frightened Irish who wants us all to ‘do what were told, or we’l get in trouble with the gaaards.

  6. fluffybiscuits

    Speaking frankly, this is the police politicising the arrest of Paul Murphy which they have no right to do. It is interfering with his right to engage as a public representative.

  7. :)

    There are people who have great difficulty in comprehending the political nature of policing. Many have an interest in maintaining tactical tone-deafness. For others, a charitable assessment might say ignorance arises from a misconception of both policing, politics and the state process itself.

    http://oireachtasretort.tumblr.com/post/126963658835/water-charges-and-the-bill

    “It might be better to be more honest about it and acknowledge that the police system is the product of a highly centralised state which is incapable in its DNA of actually devolving independence and authority to institutions that should have it, such as civil policing, and that we should do away with the pretence and the hypocrisy of setting up layers of apparent independent arbitration which in actual fact do not enjoy the same prerogatives or independence as bodies, in the UK for example, which they are purported to replicate. It might be more honest to recognise the kind of state that we are and that what applies to, not just the guards but so many institutions, is that we are a centralised, authority driven state”.

  8. sendog

    hold on a sec!
    the water charge is not a tax so not paying it is a civil matter and not a criminal matter.

    and Murphy hasnt been charged or convicted of any crime.

    also the Garda who signed of on this letter was appointed Chief Supt by the present government, and prior to present appointment served as personal assistant to the Commissioner.

    no political influence here at all, at all!

    1. Odis

      They can film you but you can’t film them. What’s not to like?

      I can think of an American cop or two, that would admire this European “pro-justice” stance.

      1. dereviled

        Although I don’t agree with many of the protestors I wonder at the efforts to dismiss all their concerns and malign them by association.

    2. Anne

      wow just shocking..
      I was in Allicanti or some other ‘how r ya’ infested sh*thole along the coast of Spain once and saw the cops there tearing into some English lads with their batons, for no good reason.
      It was only 2 of them as well against the 3 English lads.. They just cowered to protect themselves.

        1. Neilo

          Hi, welcome to the often offensive business practices of newspapers. It’s the price we pay for a free press.

    1. Bob

      In fairness, it’s not fact and saying so is a blind opinion. It’s an assumption that seems to be true. But you’ve a few steps to go before you can claim it to be fact.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      Not flattering, no. Nor completely scathing neither.

      Plus, It’s not like Phoenix thinks he hasn’t something worth listening to…. they go on to quote him, his thoughts, in another article a few pages after that piece.

      1. pardon

        When Mercille speaks of elites , is it the government he is referring to? If Sinn Fein get into gov, will they then be considered the new elite?

        1. Clampers Outside!

          I’d doubt it. I also think his definition of elites would be a lot wider. Elites, to my mind, would be any mix of business, govt and powerfully influential interest groups like the Church and big charities, etc…. for the most part…

          Not sure why you ask me though :)

      2. rory

        Oh yeah? I can’t remember, or didn’t read it. Do you remember what the article was about? I might give it a gander.

          1. ahyeah

            Just read the comments. Very funny. Julia ( can’t find any other articles by her though in Village) sums it up. BS a sanctuary for the self righteous and Julien just a bit of a himbo.

  9. Fergus the magic postman

    What is happening here is that a lot of commenters are not seeing the big picture (deliberately in some cases, as some of you clearly support the government whatever they do).

    Whether you like Paul Murphy or despise him, and whatever you think of Dr Julien Mercile, what the government are doing is anti democracy.

    The right to protest is a basic & very important human right. The government are pumping financial resources (that they say we don’t have) into shutting down this right when it goes against their policies (and more resources into covering their tracks so they can continue to deny that they have anything to do with it maintaining that these are purely gardaí decisions).

    People are not stupid. Some clearly are, but on the whole we are more intelligent than that. If Enda he invented muesli, most of us would know it was bullcrap, but you’d still have a handful in here backing up his claim.

    I don’t believe the government think we are that naive. I think they do not care what we think & treat us with contempt.
    They must be taken from power, and the excuse that there are no alternatives is not a good enough excuse to let them go unpunished.

    1. Jonotti

      Paul was protesting freely on Saturday. He’s also free to campaign and stand for election. He can seek political donations like everyone else.

      What he can’t do is collect donations door to door based on legislation from the 1960s and his admission that he was elected to break the law.
      Case closed.

      1. Fergus the magic postman

        I mistakenly gave you the benefit of the doubt, & engaged with you in the past. So I guess you could be forgiven for assuming I engage with trolls. I don’t, & it won’t be happening again. Pass that on to your straw man as well.

        1. Jonotti

          It’s always the same when I back people into a corner with a strong argument. They resort to name calling and claims they don’t argue with trolls.

          1. Mani

            And they say to you ‘I’ve told you again and again. It’s over. I can’t stand you. Guards! Guards!’

      2. :)

        Farmers are out protesting today, sinister fringe I’d say. Giving out about prices or some such, Suck it up ya bleedin culchies. Or so the logic goes about protesting…

  10. Declan

    Can we have Elaine Bryne do a column as well? For balance basically –

    Also just to douse the fire here – gathering tactical intelligence on protest movements makes sense for any policing bodies. They do it for Anti-Glob protestors, various versions of the IRA + friends and yay even rowdy water protestors (just the nobby ones – Derek and Paul ; )

    Last two things, Denise O’Brien is the the most dangerous man in the country and Spain WTF . . .

    1. Neilo

      I hope Denise is getting all the help he she needs with the transition. A bowlcut butterfly will soon emerge form the chyrsalis.

  11. Jones

    “The targeting of Paul Murphy TD and the surveillance of Irish Water protesters are part of a Europe-wide attempt to criminalise dissent.”

    Can someone tell the doctor that Spain does not equate Europe-wide?

    Meanwhile, a handful of police work in shifts to investigate the more ‘extreme’ minority of the protesters.

      1. Jones

        He certainly did. And failed – as per usual – to back up his points with any other examples other than Spain, which I agree is abhorrent.

        Thus using “Europe-wide” is nothing more than Mercille being dramatic.

        1. Conn

          You’re twisting my words and either failing to understand or just havin’ a laugh. European policies cover all member states (when it suits them). Either way, I’m not sure what your actual point is. There is nothing extreme about these protests. Cop on to yourself. A water balloon and an alleged bit of white powder in an alleged envelope are not extreme. The ransacking of the public purse and the propaganda campaign to demonise those who object to it are far more extreme threats to our democracy. Please try and understand that

    1. Matthew O' Reilly

      We can have a good old Irish guffaw snicker and banter here about what Julien Marcille is saying; or we can get real and go down on the commissioner who by some accounts is quiescent in relation to the whole thing, since her husband is leading the charge from behind.., it is likely that a nod from the minister can be taken as a given that O’ Sullivan’s man has state approval, though Fine Gael could never claim to have clean hands in relation to something so fundamentally anti Democratic and fascistic as this. Don’t forget you have been warned; the whole European Union is now one big Orwellian State.

  12. Parochial Central

    Great to see the 6% (@labour) on here in force. Losers.

    Police state indeed where members of the farce (sic) campaign in uniform and on premises for a government backed referendum and where no dissent is tolerated. #stasi

    1. Neilo

      Crack open a history of the GDR and assess honestly if Stasi is a viable analogy. Ireland, even with its manifest imperfections, is no totalitarian state.

  13. Paolo

    Paul Murphy is a charlatan. He doesn’t do the heavy lifting that his namesake Catherine does. He doesn’t take risks like Mick Wallace. He justs farts around promoting himself with empty speeches and other people’s money. The guy is a middle class weasel.

    1. Matthew O' Reilly

      The basic tenet and thrust of your assertion has some validity, but you over cook your contention that Murphy’s a Charlatan and opportunistic. He has a constituency that makes him legitimate. He has a brain hat makes him electable. He has a platform and a very good and valid political agenda. The more Murphy’s around the Dail the better.

    2. Neilo

      You say middle class like it’s a bad thing! Yours in bourgeois contentment, etc etc. All kidding aside, the chap is an irritant.

  14. Matthew O' Reilly

    We can have a good old Irish guffaw snicker and banter here about what Julien Marcille is saying; or we can get real and go down on the commissioner who by some accounts is quiescent in relation to the whole thing, since her husband is leading the charge from behind.., it is likely that a nod from the minister can be taken as a given that O’ Sullivan’s man has state approval, though Fine Gael could never claim to have clean hands in relation to something so fundamentally anti Democratic and fascistic as this. Don’t forget you have been warned; the whole European Union is now one big Orwellian State.

    1. Neilo

      You may well wish to go down on the Commish but I fear her husband wouldn’t come to peace with so easily.

    1. Neilo

      If you were to smack a dog over the nose with a rolled-up copy of An Phoblacht, would you be spared a beating from the Gardstapo? And if not, could you at least wipe the dog’s arse with it?

  15. Mr. T.

    The only people who attack Mercille are centre-right and right wing capitalists who don’t care that their greed has consequences for others. And they support Austerity because it actually enriches them at the expense of the needy in their own country.

    They are scum.

  16. Thomas givens

    The concept of ownership was I own my horse my tepee and all the rest is free to hunt and gather SO was his mind set When the white man came ,and started fencing of the land he could not understand it .SO WAS THE END OF THE REDMAN. Do not except any free blankets could have small pox flea,s in them No free water you have to pay SEE you in the reservation

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