From top: Joan Burton during the protest in Jobstown, Tallaght, 2014; Protesters outside the Children’s Court in Smithfield, Dublin 7 this morning
This morning.
…Judge John King at the Children’s Court in Dublin said the boy, who was 15 at the time, was present as Ms Burton and her adviser walked to the church from the local An Cosán centre in Jobstown until the slow march of the garda vehicle in which she was a passenger, out of the area.
He said the boy had witnessed what was going on and instead of disassociating himself, he was an active participant.
The judge said the personal liberty of Ms Burton and Ms O’Connell was restricted, without their consent.
He said the assembly of people was not peaceful and the behaviour of the protesters was contrary to public order and morality.
Accordingly, he said the protest did not attract protection under the constitution or the European Convention on Human Rights.
Teen found guilty of false imprisonment of Burton and adviser at water protest (RTE)
Meanwhile…
Pics via Paul Murphy and Joe Higgins
UPDATE:
RTE further reports:
Judge King said he could not give the boy an unconditional discharge.
But he imposed a conditional discharge, meaning he will not have a criminal record if he does not re-offend and is of good behaviour for nine months.
Further to this…
RTE’s legal affairs correspondent Orla O’Donnell, told RTE’s News At One:
“Detective Garda Paul Smith told the court that neither Joan Burton or Karen O’Connell wanted to give any victim impact statements and he said that Joan Burton told him specifically that she had no desire to see any young person jailed in relation to the charges before the court.”
“Detective Garda Smith also told the court that the boy had no previous convictions and the court heard that he was very much involved in his local community, he worked with the homeless, he received a Gaisce award, he done well in his Leaving Cert, he had an offer of a full-time job and that that job was going to pay for his third-level education. So, a strong plea was made on his behalf – that he should not receive a conviction, that he be left without a criminal record.”
“The court also heard he was suffering from medical problems the last while, there was concern that stress about this case was a very big factor in that.”
Update:
Scenes outside the Children’s Court this morning as solicitor Michael Finucane (pic 3), who represents the 17-year-old boy, speaks to the media about the guilty verdict.
Sam Boal/Rollingnews
Peaceful protest, you know. No aggressive or threatening behaviour on view at all. Definitely no one trapped in their car, either. Those photos were doctored with, too.
You mean the pic of poor widdle Joany who was fierce terrified altogether smiling in her car?
Does anybody really believe that the guards could not have got Joan out of there if it wasn’t seen as an excellent opportunity for turning people against the protesters? This was all for show. It’s ultimate “Look over there!” tactics.
rally for justice?….looks to me like justice has been served!
+1
Served cold: like a dish of the best other stuff that is served cold. That’s right, I’m talking about revenge: a piping cold dish of revenge!
+1 , he completely 100% deserved the conviction.
You cannot trap government officials in a car in a democracy.
If you want to play silly games like this, then you should be punished.
Hopefully Paul Murphy himself will be in the dock next.
This is appalling and frightening. It sets a very scary precedent, but hopefully the ruling will be found unsafe upon appeal.
Maybe Julian Assange could sue the British Government for falsely imprisoning him in the Ecuadorian Embassy?
given that he’s staying there voluntarily, that seems unlikely
Living by the sword, and the time-honoured consequences of so doing, Let me tune up my nano-Stradivarius for this kid.
Dunno. I thought the demo was pretty nasty. But prosecuting a young kid and making it into a show trial?
I was just thinking that. There seems to be an element of ‘let’s make an example of him’ going on here.
That my issue. They really were unsettling scenes if you agree with the protestors or not.
This whole case seems like the wrong way to deal with the aftermath.
Sloppy all right. Minista with no PR budget and no imagination.
Can we bring gender quota discussion back to light? Female placeholders – pensioners in waiting – are just as toxic as male ones. It has to be said.
this has nothing to do with gender. Nothing.
What on earth are you scuttering on about? None of that made an iota of sense.
He’s not a young kid.
He’s 17
15 at the time
Punish the low hanging fruit, like a child with good prospects, as a warning to others.
This is the kind of case Amnesty publicises worldwide as an example of the injustices meted out in tinpot dictatorships.
Yes, this is the mirror image of Homa Hoodfar’s plight in terms of Amnesty’s priority list.
If you’re going to use sarcasm to insult and/or belittle arguments of others, it helps to write in coherent sentences.
It was an incredibly coherent sentence and explains the situation perfectly.
Nah, it was just gobbledygook.
No, it makes perfect sense. Read it again.
I did. It’s incoherent gibberish.
So you don’t understand it and are blaming them instead of admitting that it’s just not for you? I think maybe all that frothing at the mouth is starting to blur your vision.
Whatever you need to tell yourself. No idea why you’re so emotional but I won’t judge.
You’re the one freaking out over nothing while struggling to understand obvious statements. It’s kind of weird how up at arms you are over the original statement. Anyone else who didn’t agree with a statement would explain why or move on, not pretend that it’s incomprehensibly.
Calm down, dear. All that froth on your computer screen will make it hard for you to read my lovely words. I saw someone trying to insult someone’s opinion with a laughably dumb and completely incoherent sentence, I merely pointed it out and here you are still having a tantrum and getting personal about it an hour later. And you didn’t even write it. That’s bizarre and, frankly, a little troubling. Relax. go outside. The internet isn’t a great place for emotionally fragile fellas like yourself. Your need to insult people tends to bite your type on the bumbum.
Oh sweetie, that’s not what happened at all. You must be getting on in years. Someone said something you disagreed with and instead of arguing your point, you childishly pretended that the statement wasn’t understandable to anyone. It’s sad, really, because you make so many incredibly brilliant statements in other threads fighting for what’s right. But on this topic you only see what you want and consider anyone who says anything slightly out of your view as being an enemy to be attacked.
It’s an insanely blinkered view to take, to ignore actual facts and use a child as a political football to score against the wrong opponent, just because it’s the easy thing to do.
Are you Neilo? If you aren’t, the offence you’ce taken at me pointing out the incoherence of his insult is really really weird. Nearly 3 hours since that post and you still can’t move past it. Crazy.
See Bob, you thought he was your friend. Rookie mistake.
Hi, Moyest. I get it: you’re into me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
He’s not the only one ;)
*Shuffles from foot to foot, creases flat cap in hands – imagine Norman Wisdom with avoirdupois – as face breaks into wide ‘aw shucks’ grin*
Backatcha, Ms Meadlowark.
I do find people who spout bigotry and propoganda quite intersting, yes.
Hi Moyest, Bob’s Bob and I’m me. I appreciate Bob’s intervention but only you’re allowed to pull my pigtails. X
Bob’s a bit mad then but delighted to hear I’m you’re one and only. No crying into a bottle of wine for me ton..I mean, nothing.
Im actually Nigel AND Don.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you were Nigel actually. It would explain your regular 12 hour long circular arguments about nothing.
Nice one, Moyest! :)
given that he’s staying there voluntarily, that seems unlikely
Its really not. Conditional conviction that has no custodial sentence and will leave no criminal record if no re-offending within 9 months will not register highly on Amnesty’s priority list.
No sentence had been given when I wrote that. Ridiculous that it even went to trial, but by all means, single out and punish a child for the alleged “crimes” of the hundreds of adults who were there too.
I agree, they should have punished everyone involved in this unpleasant affair.
I would say that the rest of the ‘peaceful protestors’ had a bit more cop-on as regards not allowing themselves be so readily identifiable in all the Youtube videos.
Still, a slap on the wrist is all that was warranted; I do hope that he learns his lesson.
The rest will come to trial early next year AFAIK
PEACEFUL PROTEST!!!! AAAGHGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Was someone injured?
Not physically, thank God, owing to Garda intervention.
Well clearly they DIDN’T intervene, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a false imprisonment for the length of time the prosecution claimed.
What Garda intervention? Apparently, according to this result, a whole mass of Gardaí somehow couldn’t act to prevent the crime this teenage boy has been convicted of being committed. What’s the point of a police force if they somehow aren’t capable of stopping a crime in process?
The gards were there? And widdle Joany was atill too terrified to leave her car? Gards who could have moved the protestors on? Hmmmm.
What Garda intervention? From what I’ve seen all the Gardai associated with this farce should have been sacked. They saw a crowd in a very ugly mood and chose to march their charge through the thick of it. They then allowed their charge to be hemmed in. This was alleged to be a protective detail? Whatever side of the fence you are on regarding the protest, this was shockingly unprofessional, and a total ballsup. BTW making a fifteen year old into Public Enemy Number One merely shows up the shabbiness of our political and Legal system.
+1
yes, public trust
Do they need to be in order for a protest to not be peaceful?
If you’re going to try and demonise and mischaracterise people protesting, you need a good reason.
Contrast this with the hundreds of other protests that take place in the state every year.
Read section 15 of the non fatal offences against the person act.
Therein lies the difference.
So the answer to my question was ‘no’ I take it.
The was someone injured question? Well yes then, getting pelted with balloons and eggs constitutes an injury.
But more worrying than that was the threat of violence.
Plus you’re question is irrelevant.
probably little point to us going around in circles with each other again.
It’s simple – DPP brought case alleging law was broken. Court agreed. Rap on the knuckles of a minor to show this behavior is unacceptable.
Sin e
And if you’re going to demonise and mischaracterise everyone else, you should be held to the same standards that you hold others to.
Great! A 15 year old was convicted for a felony over his part in a peaceful protest but some convoluted thinking allows the state to interpret it as false imprisonment so it’s grand. If the state say what they’re doing is fine by the ruled they wrote themselves, then we should all.say it’s fine. That’s definitely not slave mentality. Defo.
felony? wrong jurisdiction chief.
No, I think you’ll find false imprisonment is a felony in Ireland, little buddy. That the consequences of that won’t be applied to him over his age is immaterial.
we don’t have felonies in Ireland anymore but, to be fair, it’s only been for a decade or so and it’s a common mistake
15 year old breaks the law. Is caught. Is found guilty. Is not given a criminal record and told to behave himself for 9 months. All in all, not the worst result.
Should he have been arrested in the first place? Well he did break the law, but a slap on the wrist would have been more appropriate than wasting people’s time.
Stop pretending that this is the worst thing to happen in humanity. On the list of things Irish governments have done to the people, this wouldn’t even register. You want to fight corruption, then fight corruption. Stop defending those who are in the wrong, simply because you hate someone else more.
So you want people to ignore the disgusting political prosecution of a child because the government have done worse before? That is a truly horrifying attitude.
Not even close to what I said, but you’d hardly be trying to build a strawman out of facts, would you.
“Stop pretending that this is the worst thing to happen in humanity”
You were talking qbout strawmen?
Probation act would have been about right for the chungfella.
Shower of heartless animals here.
“Take just one university, University College Dublin (UCD): Taoiseach Charlie Haughey was met by sit-down protests in 1989.
In 2002, Minister Noel Dempsey was stuck in a building surrounded by protesting students for hours.
Six years later, Brian Lenihan was reportedly ‘blockaded’ by protesting students there again.”
Remember your comments if this ever affects your kids.
Hear bloody hear.
Well said!
If it’s nice, middle class students, it’s a protest. If it’s “scrotes” from Jobstown it’s “false imprisonment”, despite loads of gardai, standing around, scratching their holes the entire time.
Where any of them egged??
Five years ago, friends of mine were assaulted by farmers protesting in Dept of Ag in Wexford. One of them had to be hospitalised as a result, but no charges were brought against the thugs who did it. We spent the day being harassed and intimidated both inside and outside the building. Some staff had to lock their office doors because of it. The IFA lied their way through a press release and it was only through social media that the real story got out. The gardai said as it was a public building, they were entitled to protest.
When it comes to protests in Ireland, it all depends on who you are and who you represent when it comes to seeing if the protest facilitated “false imprisonment”.
It depends more on what evidence you have. Always photograph the b*stards.
Daisy, I am not a public servant, but I am a Dubliner. Year in, year out, the farming community are allowed to protest in any fashion they choose – however unruly – and the Authorities and the Gardaí smile benignly. After all, these are ‘rural people’ – the Government and the majority of the Gardaí are ‘rural people’ – therefore, no wrong can possibly be done. Bit fed up with it, to be honest.
With you on that, Daisy: farmers are always – God forgive me – acting the goat at D/Agri office and never get into a lick of trouble
‘When it comes to protests in Ireland, it all depends on who you are and who you represent when it comes to seeing if the protest facilitated “false imprisonment”.’
– I would say it was more the case that the Jobstown protested recorded and uploaded many videos of their actions. Hoisted on their own petard.
The petard being their naivety as to the right wing oppressive nature of our ruling class.
Well said.Mourinho.
Convicting a 17 year old (who was 15 at the time) for falsely imprisoning a Minister while several Garda looked on and conspired is shocking and suggest to me the Judiciary is not independent from political influence.
This is a seriously flawed judgement and threatens the rights of all citizens. Nobody should tolerate this.
Joan Burton should be ashamed. She could have dropped those charges any time.
She didn’t bring the charges but a well thought out statement on the issue could have halted this circus
How many days/weeks did it take the nGardaí to formulate exactly which crime had been committed in front of their eyes?
How many nGardaí attended the dawn raids against these “serious criminals”?
Absolute show trial.
Its the DPP who decides to bring cases.
Understood, but there were no arrests made for “false imprisonment” on the day of the incident as far as I know? I’d be interested to know if there are any detailed reports on the Garda’s actions that day, and whether there’s any mention of “false imprisonment” in any of the Guards’ statements or reports. Like, did Garda Johnny Nugent ask his Sergeant if he could arrest that lad for false imprisonment, and the Sergeant said “No, Johnny, it’s not safe. We’ll get them at a later date.” Did that happen?
There were hundreds of protesters at the incident. Going by the logic of this judgement every single person associated with the protest conspired to “falsely imprison” Joan Burton. Why have there not been hundreds of arrests as a result? Were the nGardaí failing in their duty on the day of the incident or were they failing in their duty to catch all the perpetrators afterwards? How did they decide which of the protesters was more responsible than the rest of the mob?
Well said on all points
This was a criminal trial. Charges proffered by state. Joan Burton could not have stopped trial
REDACTED MUST BE PLEASED
Is that a comment or a command?
Both, probably.
The very many Gardaí who attended that day agreed to have her walked out slowly in protest by the protesting group. This was facilitated by the Gardaí who could at any point have stepped in and removed the protesters.
So how can someone be convicted of false imprisonment while so many Garda looked on? This suggests that the Gardaí themselves failed in their duty to remove the Minister from the situation.
Ireland is heading down a dangerous road.
+1 This is hugely worrying for our so called democracy. A 15 year old has been convinced of a felony right in front of us. They know we’re too apathetic to do anything about it. Nation of serfs and useful idiots trying to live variously through the powerful. Pathetic cowardly bootlickers that mindlessly regurgitate goverment propaganda tropes so they can delude themselves into thinking they’re superior have contributed to this.
If they had stepped in, it would have escalated the situation and the protestors would be screaming about a police state. The gardaí couldn’t win, so thankfully chose the option that didn’t result in anyone being hurt.
+1
Balls
+2
so many “he deserves it” from the usual right wing commenter crowd. things to note; he didnt imprison her. he was 15 … 15 .. he was genuinely remorseful and wont do it again, the scare of going to court wouldve been enuf, but prison could actually make him a criminal, will defo make him angrier at the establishment rather than deter him. also, he had a future, and now he’ll have a criminal record.
this is a bad result.
He has a conditional discharge, he won’t have a criminal record assuming he’s a good boy for 9 months.
You claim his time in prison and his criminal record will both ruin his future. Fortunately he received neither of those, so he’ll be grand
A lot of people will be pleased with this, blinded by class prejudice, simply happy to see a ‘scumbag’ locked up for protesting against economic tyranny. That’s an indefensible position to take up because you must then accept an accountant being locked up with scanty evidence via a politically motived court.
What century have you come from? Do they know about us?
I don’t think he was locked up, was he? Are you making that bit up?
This could be the final nail in the coffin for Labour, with no working class vote they’re dependent on the liberal instincts of Dublin FG voters alone.
Labour died years ago. Neo liberal bootlickers is all they are now. They have actual contempt for the working man. Lowlives.
‘boot’ – you’re being modest. Respect!
Je suis moyest
And the working woman shurely?? Or those who identify as women natch…
Ssshh.
Yep. This. I remember when I used to vote for them. Can’t see that happening again any time soon.
Protests involving civil disobedience has been responsible for some of the human rights we enjoy today.
In other news, I was unlawfully detained in my car by council workers during the week. I was late for an appointment thanks to that kidnapping.
…Joan Burton seems intent on rivalling Thatcher’s legacy…her grandstanding on the day was obvious and Paul Murphy just played into her hands…but to persist with her charade so that a minor gets a criminal record for only doing what she and her erstwhile comrades did years ago is despicable…
Conspiracy floating in my mind – was Burton forced to do it? I mean the lawsuit? (Not that it would justify anything, but if someone was using her as a handy political dead-weight to achieve own objectives – it would be way more understandable)
Jesus, but you’re dense – criminal prosecution, DPP brought the charges; not initiated by Burton.
the comments on here lol
surely if it would have required the gardai to just intervene to allow her to leave (who were also jostled and abused according to the court evidence) – isn’t that proof she was imprisoned against her will
By a LARGE number of people possibly. Not by a select few.
I’m in two minds about this but for everyone who says the Gardai could of moved her out of their, I’m assuming that would of involved clearing a path through the crowd. I’m assuming again at some point that would of involved whipping out batons/physically man handling people and if you’re ok with that fair enough but it doesn’t set a good precedent.
A situation developed and rather then escalate it; it was de-escalated.
Does anyone know if this is the same kid who was up for this as well with the priors and trouble with the social workers?
“A situation developed and rather then escalate it; it was de-escalated.”
Well it wasn’t. The boy was charged with a serious crime arising out this. The Guards actually created the situation out of which he was charged.
The Guards essentially imprisoned Burton. Not the boy.
that’s quite the stretch
That is some mental gymnastics, there.
In other news, tax dodgers with offshore accounts have been given yet another time extension to regularise their tax affairs.
This includes defaulters who have agreed a settlement but who haven’t bothered paying the outstanding taxes.
Then there’s Judge John King:
School principal guilty of assault not given a conviction
Man armed with knife avoids conviction
Man with false motor tax disk avoids conviction
Seems to me to be a politically motivated trial, charge and conviction
he wont be getting detention,
He’ll most likely come away with a reprimand as it is the Children’t Court after all.
But allowing this case in the first place was a shameful act by those who made the decision. It only undermines respect in the judiciary and the state.
It’s another aggressive State act against people who hold political opinions contrary to the established agenda, rather than debate them properly in Parliament like a normal democracy. This is all about local politics and Labour enemies in the Left. And the state apparatus was used against them.
Protest was always criminalised anyway
i refer Paul Murphy to State vs Je Suis Derek (2015)
Having spoken to someone who was in the hall that day a few things went wrong before any balloon was thrown .
1) the graduates expressed their preferencefor her not to attend, a week before the event, this information was sensitively passed on to Joan. She showed up despite her wishes.
2) A snr Garda and the and the chairman/president of the event approached Joan and explained there was an unruly crown outside, the Snr Garda suggested they they could pull a car around the back of the event and spirit her away unseen by the crown. She apparently dismissed this idea with prejudice, and insisted on walking out into the middle of it.
Now I know there are plenty of poe faced people would say , this is a republic, and she as a citizen has the right to walk any street in Ireland. I agree she does, however I also have the right to walk through Darndale a 3am in the morning, but I think there would be the odd night that wouldnt be advisable for em.
She’s a c*nt, but you’re victim blaming. She could have done a great many things different, but she did what she did and the protestors did what they did. They could have acted more orderly and peacefully. They didn’t and now an overzealous DPP is trying to make examples out of them, but are just going to succeed in wasting time and money.
If you want to walk through Darndale at 3am, is it really wrong to say you shouldn’t be attacked?
Actually, having listened to a news report of this, after the ceremony she went into an unmarked car to leave discretely however a protester noticed this and informed this KID who went to the other side and told the crowd who then harangued the unmarked car. – RTE report on Sean O’Rourke
Judge discharges the youth (17) conditionally on good behaviour for nine months.
No detention, no community service. And as a juvenile, no record.
Rally off so?
If protesting is now illegal, as suggested by the poster, does this make it an illegal gathering?
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1021/825791-jobstown/
“neither Ms Burton nor Ms O’Connell wanted to give victim impact statements.
He said Ms Burton had said that she had no desire to see any young person jailed in relation to the charges before the court.”
“But he imposed a conditional discharge, meaning he will not have a criminal record if he does not reoffend and is of good behaviour for nine months.”
Why the living hell anyone could possibly think Joan Bruton figured prosecuting a teenager for protesting would be a good look for her as a career politician to he associated with is beyond me.
Considering you were perfectly ok with protestors being charged with false imprisonment because they shouted some mean words, just as long as they were prosecuted with *something*, it’s easy to see why widdle Joany thought this was a good idea.
Yeah, I guess. Maybe she thinks the law should proceed regardless of fear or favour too. Good point. Thanks
Or that she realises plenty of folks will cheer on the prosecution of a 15 year old for his part in a peaceful protest just like you did because you’re gullible enough/consciously willing to help spread a narrative that demeaned and dehumanised working class people, similar to how she tried to delegitimise the water protestors; people she ALREADY showed massive contempt for. It was a really weird question for you to ask considering you’re he answer to it.
I think you were right the first time. No politician with a lick of sense would want to be part of a case like this 8f they could help it considering the lunatic populism it attracts. It’s an utter loser in terms of optics and the people applauding it are hardly Labour voters. You#’e quite right that Bruton probsbly went along with it purely out of respect for the legal process.
?? Are you sure you’re reading what you’re responding to. I said she probably thought this was a good luck for her because of people like you who already supported her for exactly this. You actually said you had no problem with these prosecutions. You defended them actually. I have no idea how your post relates to anything I said.
No you’re quite right, attributing thoughts and opinions to people in bad faith really is dishonest and childish. I also think you’re spot on drawing a connection between the dismissal and minimisation of Bruton’s ecperience and the dismissal and minimisation of the experiences of other female victims of violence, especially considering the misogynistic abuse she was subjected to. Great insight there.
it bloody amazes me how acceptable horrific misogynistic comments are accepted when it comes to an “establishment” politician.
see every comment there ever was about Mary Harney for example.
@ Harry
True dat.
She didn’t prosecute a teenager, the DPP did.
Oh I know, just the notion that she’d think it was a good idea out of some sort of political calculation is absurd.
“She didn’t prosecute a teenager, the DPP did.”
That line is a cop out Dubloony. You know full well this didn’t have to go ahead. It was a political court case.
Hopefully this sort of poo will finally destroy the Labour Party
Sadly I doubt it. Die hards will always support their party of choice no matter what.
“
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for a 15 year old from Jobstown, and I did not speak out
Because I was not involved or from Jobstown
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me
There’d still a hundreds of people viciously arguing each side on Broadsheet, though.
Ah the luxury of free speech. Both sides able to argue. Not protest though. That would be undemocratic and against the Law!
You can protest. You just can’t falsely imprison somebody. There is a difference.
In fairness, no one speaks out for the Jews on Broadsheet except for me, Advertising On Police Cars and s**tferbrains.
Who speaks against Jews here? Surely that would be removed?
You’d think.
…he’s playing the tired old anti-semitist card trying to conflate Jews with zionists…
I’m a Zionist and I’m not Jewish so there’s a germ of truth in that.
+1 That’s how right wingers get it done. No counter argument against anti Israeli-treatment-of-Palestinians? Shout anti semite. No counter argument against the left wing direction party members want to go down? Shout ‘extremist’ or ‘Trot’ or ‘Stalinist’. No counter argument against calls of bigotry? Shout sjw. Reality has a left wing bias so the right have constructed a bubble out of the money they gutted from working class labour and public services & land. Sadly, they have enough money to force all of us live in their bubble as well, abetted by deluded slogan chanters.
…you’ll know then that if you want some relly anti-Jewish vitriol just go to the comments that the zionists reserve for Jews who condemn their genocide in Palestine…
I am delighted with this result.
Hopefully the cases against the adult protesters will also be similarly successful.
Is it because of their social class that you are delighted Andy?
I’d imagine he’d more delighted that this instance of skulduggery is now being dealt with by the courts. Didn’t mean to speak for you there, Andy, old boy.
Yes, that’s it exactly. It’s because of their social class.
It has nothing to do with the fact this 60 odd year old woman, who was democratically elected to represent the people of her constituency and as a member of cabinet was a representative of every constituency, was repeatedly verbally abused (called a c word, a hag, an ugly b1tch etc as all can hear on those youtube videos), had stuff thrown at here, had her car surrounded by a baying mob. All of which was apparently justified by the attempted imposition of a water charge which wasn’t even introduced by her department.
I pay no heed to any of that, it’s simply because of their social class.
Now, trot along you hero.
+1
Well played Andy, well played.
See you next Tuesday.
Is that better dear editor?
:) Cheers
Have a good weekend dear editor.
I wasn’t at that protest and I doubt anyone posting here was it either.
All we know is what the established media keep peddling.
That’s true but the boy was only 15, caught up in a protest. Did Joan the Moan looked worried? did her assistant? Did the Gardaí? Nope! So everything after that is only a circus!
and what was deemed admissible as evidence in the court case
You’re right, Tish/Mr T.
Nothing to do with the pictures and videos the ‘protesters’ themselves posted.
This sets a precedent which will mean the adult protesters charged with the same offence in a jury trial are facing down the barrel of a life sentence for sitting down on a public street. There’s a litany of public order offences that could have been levelled at these individuals (eg Sec. 9 of the Public Order Act) but the DPP has deliberately gone for the nuclear option, bending to political pressure.
Incidentally, the class vitriol from some people here is disgusting.
‘A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.’ – Mandela
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1997/act/26/section/15/enacted/en/html
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1994/act/2/section/9/enacted/en/html
“This sets a precedent which will mean the adult protesters charged with the same offence in a jury trial are facing down the barrel of a life sentence for sitting down on a public street.”
– false imprisonment has been illegal for a long time; and in any of the videos I’ve seen, people are standing around and smacking the car, not sitting down.
“Incidentally, the class vitriol from some people here is disgusting.”
– the only references to class on this thread have been the people saying “… but that’s because you hate them, because of their class”; nobody actually passing comment on their social class.
I am increasingly of the mindset that this website is from a very small gene pool with nothing new to say… apart from changing usernames.
I’m starting to think this prosecution was in order to set a precedent which will allow them to prosecute Paul Murphy more easily.
What a vile, squalid little banana republic this is.
“Do what your told proles, dont argue, and dont forget to “vote” ha, ha.”
The state will shut down dissent and break laws ….except those performed by the catholic church,politicians heads of CEOs
Filthy country