This afternoon.
Outside The Criminal Courts of Justice.
A demonstration in support of Socialist TD Paul Murphy and up to 27 anti- water charge protesters as they face charges of falsely imprisoning the Tanaiste Joan Burton TD and one of her advisers during a water charge protest in Dublin last November.
32 Charged Over Dublin Water Protests (RTÉ)
(Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie)
Sponsored Link
I can’t believe they’ve actually brought false imprisonment charges to court. What a fooking farce.
Yeah,
Who cares about the “Law” and “Justice”. We should be listening to populists.
What’s a “populist”?
Anyone who disagrees with their corrupt, elitist, privileged ‘Betters’.
Now shurrup your gob and take your Show Trial like a man.
James McClean is on it.
Oh sorry that’s the Poppy list.
Yeah of course “law” and “justice” because that’s what this is about.
It’s all part of the political policing service this country guarantees for the golden circle who rule this corrupt nation.
You’re right Waffles, and when they’re done with the filthy protestor underclass, they can start prosecuting primary school teachers for fraud and copyright infringement because of all those books they photocopy pages from and hand out to pupils.
Copyright Infringement is a civil matter m8.
The DPP does not deal with civil matters.
Do you even law.
Yes, detail is very important in sarcastic hypotheticals.
“Do you even law”
LOL.
mmm…all going in the right direction for Paul Murphy and AAA? potential for embarrassing GE optics on the way…think most people see the difference between delay and kidnapping…surprised even by FG/LAB standards this wasn’t made to go away
Joan Brutal’s a farcical wench. Oblivious political moron.
I hope every single Garda on duty there is called as a witness as to how they didn’t do their jobs. If there was any serious threat, the riot squad would have been out bashing in heads like they do at Dept of Ed protests.
now…….. did murphy pay for that bottle of water?
I doubt it, think it was labelled “SF tears”
Ha!
Try again if you think you’re being witty. Your not.
I laughed.
it’s not often you see Crumlin and “not guilty” beside each other.
ha!
Ha, just like the white collar crims of Foxrock who dodge their tax and keep offshore accounts and move their property into companies owned by their children.
or wives
Delighted these people have been made example of… Absolutely the right to peaceful protest is sacrosanct…this gang do not have the temperament for such-this country is descending into behaviour that is almost accepted.
So go support these types…if you want to live in “an out of control, anti social mob rule” society, with no improvements in water quality (which most civilised countries pay for)
And whilst you’re all about “the Foxrock” cliche, let’s bring in this chestnut “the track suited, huge TV watching, lazy council house denizens of Crumlin”!
We already pay for water.
So you believe that water is real. Well it’s a start.
“huge TV watching”
It’s because their houses are smaller that the TVs look bigger.
These TVs are near
Those TVs are far away
Ah here!
I knew it !
Yes, let’s the justice shoved down the throats of these skanger populists – just like the justice faced by Frank Feighan FG TD.
Slighty awks but as a child you cannot hold a company in your name. Otherwise, carry on, sure you had a grand narrative going on there.
Slighty awks but people have 18 year old+ “children”, dumbass. They don’t stop being your children at the age of 18.
What’s wrong with Crumlin, sick of this class society, from a country person working in the media and happy to live in Crumlin
Relax Jim, it’s just a bit of banter.
I can’t believe it’s been let get this far either. What in Gods name is Joan Burton etc. thinking? They’ll either get jailed or they’ll be let go. If they’re jailed they’ll become martyrs to the cause and the whole AAA movement will grow as a result. If they’re let go it makes Joan and co look pretty damn foolish and petty for trying to use the law to eliminate political opposition. Bad all round for Joan.
s/Joan Burton/DPP/g
Do people actually think that Joan Burton is pushing for this disaster? I’d imagine should would like to this to completely disappear. I’d imagine that his is the gardai, who did a bit of a rubbish job on the day, feeling embarrassed and wanting to make an example of Paul Murphy and the lads. Except they are doing them a service. The fools.
Don’t see Joan Burton clarifying the fact that she wasn’t in fact kidnapped. This case will probably be the last time her name is used widely in political news before the election, because she’s heading for obscurity.
don’t be so stupid ,look up the definition of false imprisonment ,it doesn’t have to involve bars or a cage chief
You FG or Labour or a Garda? I’m guessing from your reaction that you’re a Labour fanboy. Have you noticed your party has turned to complete 5h1te? have you noticed they’ve not only turned their backs on the people who voted them in but also on their own policies while in government.
Well we’re not falling for that again, so good riddance Labour.
And you put you dictionary away & don’t be a backside hole. It was not false imprisonment. The world would not be where it is today with regards to rights, without the aid of civil disobedience, and that’s what it was.
no I’m none of the above, just sick of listening to people who don’t understand what they’re talking about
Well if you stop talking you won’t have to listen to it anymore….simples
Joan’s biggest mistake was to bring those charges against those protestors. It’ll be the last nail in the coffin of her political career. It also played right into the AA’s hand by delivering them a perfect story to get them numerous headlines. This story should be long forgotten. Silly silly Joan.
* opens can o’ Special Brew *
Hey, Shrimp Eyes, we’re in the news… *hic*
Have ye seen ‘A Time to Kill’ with Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson, and at the end the little kid comes running out shouting (spoiler alert) ‘Not Guilty not Guilty’ and all hell break lose???!
This is nothing like that.
This is more like the Shawshank redemption with Joans as a redemption woman.
Driving Miss Dizzy
“Yes, she deserved to be stuck in her car and hope she felt mildly overheated”
Reply to Owen, that.
Now when I read your comment it comes out in Samuel L Jackson’s voice in my head.
Fair play to all those protesters taking leave from work to attend the protest today.
Yawn
It’s OK: today is signing-on so they didn’t miss their ‘work’.
Funny you say that Neilo. I’ve never had to sign on (never been on the dole) and I really enjoyed taking yesterday off to head down to the courts to show my support. As did many other full time workers. Weather was marvellous
Dead on! Glad you enjoyed the day. I disagree profoundly with the protestors’ tactics but I uphold your right to attend and support.
Is that because I don’t sign on? How nice…
Mild snark maybe doesn’t mix so well with civility on my part! :)
Did the woman in the car with Joan Burton also make a complaint to the Gardaí or was it only Joan Burton who wanted under 18s up in court on a false imprisonment charge?
the fact that Moan was left stranded for three hours says more about the gards hands off policing than anything else.
Hands off in what sense? I seem to remember Paul Murphy getting stripped of most of his clothes by Gardaí during the kidnapping.
wasn’t she immobile for three hours ? thats not acceptable for anyone let alone a deputy p.m. in a law abiding country.gards should have had the muscle to get her moving within minutes.
No what’s not acceptable is that law abiding families are living in their cars, for a lot longer than three hours.
It’s not acceptable Gardai Stations have been closed all over the country, and people can’t get any kind of a quick response after reporting a crime, while huge numbers of Gardaí have been used to aid water meter installations, and for the dawn raids on protesters, and all kinds of other political policing.
Poor Joany had to sit in her car for three hours? Well no, she didn’t have to.
I think we are arguing for the same thing.a beefed up independent garda force able to face the challenges of modern Ireland.
She could have sucked it up and lived with it…. like all the people struggling because of the bailout of banks.
Great, so we are free then to delay some of these protestors from entering the pub to watch united of a Saturday. I’m sure they won’t mind being boxed in for a couple of hours.
Pity we couldn’t delay you from getting to your keyboard every day. That would be something.
Hey!
Jonotti. Aren’t you glad they have the old football to keep them distracted and docile. Otherwise they’d be educating themselves about how they are actively excluded from higher education and the professions in order to keep them in their place and never resourced enough to have influence.
My word Mr T…the clicheed downtrodden underclass gene is strong in this one!
There is nothing stopping anyone educating themselves.
The discipline, self respect & willingness to get on with life & take risks propels a person forward.
A large number of us were falsely imprisoned in a Dart train a few weeks ago. I realise now that I should have rung the Gardai and had the management of Irish Rail flung into the clink.
how the government have handled this, and many other PR disasters, is worrying not just because it’s farcical, but also because it makes you wonder what other things they mess up badly on that we dont see .. stuff like running a nation.
The government haven’t handled anything. They don’t control operational policing.
Yes they do. Otherwise why are the Gardaí inserting themselves into a civil dispute by arresting people who reject water meters? Arresting them using spurious reasoning and quoting regulations that allow for no power of arrest and then releasing people without charge. Policing doesn’t get more political than that.
lol at civil dispute. No point debating any further.
FYI: A civil dispute is a legal disagreement between two or more principle individuals or organizations.
What is a principle individual?
Eh Jonotti, it is a civil dispute.
Ok if I have an argument with you over say the location of a fence. I think beat your head in with a post which I suppose is ok because its a civil dispute.
Thought you were finished debating jonotti…? But if you hit me over the head with a fence post you’ve turned a civil dispute into a criminal act.
Finally the truth comes out. Let me guess- you picked up the post then and hit him back with it?
You both have comparable IQs to one.
Well done zuppy for following my argument to its logical conclusion. Good to see somebody admit they were wrong.
What are you trying to suggest jonotti? People peacefully objecting to the installation of water meters don’t hit or assault the installers. If you have proof otherwise then provide it.
Peaceful protest works. That’s why the Guards (as third party interlopers into a civil dispute) are forced to unlawfully arrest and assault the very people they are supposed to protect, all on the instructions of their political and corporate overlords.
They’re not in court of peaceful protesting are they? They are accused of criminality which would make this…. a criminal case.
They’re in court because of the state’s attempt to criminalize peaceful protest and civil disobedience. The state tried the same thing in Rossport and failed: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/corrib-protesters-not-guilty-of-violent-disorder-charges-1.2288774
BTW, nobody (in this current show trial) has been found guilty of anything yet.
It doesn’t matter if they are found guilty or not now. They have a criminal case to answer and it is not a civil matter.
“It doesn’t matter if they are found guilty or not now”
That’s the point of a show trial isn’t it? Discredit your opposition by association with an “alleged” crime, with no proof provided and no conviction handed down by jury.
Political policing, political prosecution and the courts being abused left right and centre by a regime that is falling apart due to its own mendacity and incompetence.
So you’re saying the DPP fabricated a case due to political interference. That is such an outrageous claim to make.
But despite the overwhelming ‘political’ interference, Burton couldn’t get the Gardai to free her car.
Amazing how ‘political policing’ only exists when Paul and the Shinners want it to.
If the shoe fits…
http://ww2.fairsociety.ie/?folio=7POYGN0G2
Oops, here’s a better link:
http://www.fairsociety.ie/no-justice-in-ireland-just-kangaroo-courts-of-collusion-between-dpps-office-private-barristerssolicitors-and-senior-gardai/
Er, have you not paid any attention to the news over the past year and a half?
Politics is up to it’s balls in policing in this country.
Politics has balls now ?
You know nothing about the gardai or politics as you’ve no direct experience of either. You’ve fabricated this sinister system in your head based on misinformed facebook rants of similar yokels.
“Ya hoor ya”
the best little country to be (kinda) trapped in a car by a man holding two pints.
Anyone remember this…….
Labour hypocrites.
https://twitter.com/irelanduncut/status/565200887191449600
Aw bless. I remember a time Labour used to be a socialist party…
+1
I love how Broadsheet commenters assemble en masse behind the government whenever anything Anti Austerity Alliance comes up.
The keyboard military wing of YFG.
Military? Could you sound any more unreasonable and ridiculous. Yes I’m under direct orders from Herr Kenny, himself just a conduit for De Fuhrer Merkel and the bankster fat cat overlords. Did I get all of that nonsense right?
Merkel would be Die Führerin.
(also, it’s clear he meant military in the same way someone would say keyboard warrior)
Anymore terrorizing “midnight visits” coming up?
Ha. Jonotti, you weren’t even mentioned and yet you gave the game away by defending yourself. You’ve done that before. We know you’re YFG. When the change comes in 2016, we’ll drag you out of house in your Y-Fronts and parade up the town.
I’m YFG and proud! I do 20 hours of shilling for them voluntarily as part of my membership.
I’d like the AA a hell of a lot more if it wasn’t a single issue party and had some respect for the middle income worker. Middle income workers would only see more taken out of their pockets if AA get into power cause there is no way to deliver what they want without that.
True dat
In 2013, the night that Claire Daly’s pro-choice legislation was introduced as a member’s bill and voted down, there was a massive number of people outside the Dáil, and there was an impromptu decision to block both entrances. I was there, and like thousands of other Irish people that evening I blocked not just the Tainiste, but also the Taoiseach and every other TD who was in session that night.
Nobody has come to arrest me or anyone else there that night.
Ireland has a long history of obstructing officials as a form of protest, and people very rarely get prosecuted for it, if ever. Whether this is the Gardai acting independently or at the order of the Government, it sets a very dangerous precedent and it’s definitely turning a lot of people against both institutions.
That’s interesting Lorcan
I could argue that Ireland has an equally long history of allowing a lot of discretion to the Gardai
This could be politically motivated I’d agree
In the main I tend to think though it’s a shot across the bows for those whose only form of political activism is to stop government ministers doing their lawful business. To be fair to you I doubt that’s your only approach but there are some who are only militant in their activism
The problem becomes how can you tell which people are only militant? Is Paul Murphy – an elected TD and a former MEP only a militant, for example? Also, is it acceptable to arrest people and bring them to court effectively for being only militant, or too militant if you prefer, in their activism?
The other thing to consider is how the Gardai conducted themselves in the raids, arrests and questioning of the protestors. One 16 year old boy was confronted with video of himself from the protest and was accused of being a ringleader, just because he had a megaphone. It’s very heavy handed, and has only served to keep people on the side of the water protestors.
The other thing you raised – the level of discretion given to the Gardai can be an issue in and of itself. Inconsistently applied policing can be a huge problem.
Well that’s the nub of it Lorcan. I’m just remarking it’s not really a new thing in my opinion at least
Farcical stuff from a crap Government
A cynical attempt at socio-economic policing. They want to criminalise protestors for a minor infraction. If this happened in a post part of south Dublin, there would be no arrests.
Have to laugh at those accusing the Gardai of ‘political policing’ but then also rounding on Joan Burton for not getting the Gardai to crack heads or something and allow her to leave.
Some political policing there, eh? Too much or not enough?
I don’t know if you’re being genuinely or willfully ignorant.
The two arguments are entirely compatible.
Its not all black & white Oh Dear
They could have held a few protesters at arms length for a few moments & moved her to a garda car at any time, but they intentionality prolonged the situation to exact this result.
In any case apparently pissn in a bottle was no problem for her, so no harm done.
I’ve no time for the sexpot Trots in the AAAPBPOMG, but I’d say most people in Ireland know a scumbag who beat up / mugged / burgled a loved one, was identified, collared, open and shut case, but the DPP declines to prosecute,or lets them off for a few years so they can add a few more charges to the sheet first for administrative efficiency and fupp the bonus victims. Usually because the guards have inexplicably played social worker for the scumbag who had an awful childhood or whatever, I’ve heard that sh1te from them myself, in disbelief and disgust.
That’s what really angers me about this.
What has that got to do with anything? That’s one of your weaker arguments to date and that’s saying something.
Where’s your liberal compassion now? Should the police baton-charge the homeless as well, because they sometimes burgle? Or do you only like the ‘good’ homeless who you can use to bash the government?
Your left-wing credentials are barely skin-deep. The Daily Mail sounds more your line.
….right….
Dear Janotti,
d’ya not even realise how out of touch you are?
Re-read your party’s memo about ‘damage-limitation’ and curb your appetite for confrontation.
You’re an embarrassment to your overlords and your daddy is not going to impressed.
STFU.
That’s not how my name is spelled. You’re level of english is awful.
Your level of English is awful.
jonotti,
Leaving all political alliances aside, what are doing with yourself son?
Strikes me we could be debating about any topic & you would pick aside whether you
really believed in the reasons for your alliance to that side or not, you would…as you do now,
use the back & forth counter arguments as baramoter of your intellect.
You slipped up a month or so back when you made a ridiculous comment on the refugee child that was washed up on the beach, let the mask slip as it were & went quite for a while.
I think most BS regulars here now treat you as a bit of a clown,
a bit of entertainment.
@ Robby Cook;
A clown, but not an intentional clown.
His sort give the rest of us a bad name.
*PS.
I’m referring to Jabberwocky, not you.
The BS regulars are a crowd I desperately want to impress. I couldnt’ even pick out any characters on here. Most peoples usernames wash over me and I don’t even attach any traits to them.
I’m the main man around here and I’ve been told (i know some people…) that I’m worth about 10-12K per year for broadsheet. I’m box office.
The lurkers support me in email
They all think I’m great don’t you know.
You posters just don’t understand me
But soon you will reap what you sow.
Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see.
Oh it’s true, and you know they support me.
There’s thousands of lurkers out there!
They all understand my intentions
you posters are not being fair!
Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see
The lurkers support me in email
“So why don’t they post?” you all cry
They’re scared of your hostile intentions
they’re not as courageous as I.
Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see
One day I’ll round up all my lurkers
we’ll have a newsgroup of our own
without all this flak from you morons
my lurkers will post round my throne.
Lurkers, lurkers, lurkers support me, you’ll see, you’ll see
off in e-mail the lurkers support me, you’ll see.
Jo Walton, 16th May 1998
If you DO ever pick one out, please pick me.
There’s no fun in kicking the ass of someone who’s running away. It just feels wrong, like I arrived at the party too late.
And step up your game, please.
You’re getting boring now.
Make your happy face and close your eyes while my username erupts and washes over your face.
“The Law is not about ‘Justice’, its about ‘order’.
Nicely said.
It’s about ‘Order’, yet it’s falling into disarray.
I love this country. It’s a funny place.
I’ll be the contrarian here.
Joan Burton was attending a graduation ceremony of an adult education college. She was invited to it. It was the graduates day.
Was shouting obscenities, throwing objects,blocking the car really a peaceful.protest? In any other jurisdiction, the protesters would have been forcefully removed on the spot and not have the incident go on for hours.
She was only invited in the sense that the college was told she was going whether they (the students and teachers) liked it or not. You’d almost think she was looking for a reaction…
And she was…
And it backfired because she’s totally insensitive and oblivious to public sentiment.
And what the hell was she even doing accepting the invitation? Tallaght is amongst the hardest places hit by austerity, were strongly against water charges before this all exploded. Did none of her advisors suggest that maybe this wasn’t the best place for her to be?
Though her attending the opening of a food bank after everything else shows how tone deaf Burton is. If her decisions were episodes of The Thick of it, we’d be complaining they were too unrealistic.
I live 3 corners away from where it happened.
2 bus stops.
1 ten-minute walk.
-I wasn’t there. I was asleep.
My estimation of the situation is that it was deliberately or stupidly provoked and incredibly mis-judged.
-Then Paul Murphy turned up.
– Then an ‘advisor’ thought to herself, Oh shoight, I thought this was going to be an easy gig…think of something, quick…
But she couldn’t think of anything. She was too busy looking at the sexy Guards who were going way beyond their remit.
And that my friends is why we are where we are.
-And do you know what the best part of it all is?
Part Two is only starting.
It’s gonna be good.
It’s gonna be great.
Is that some victim blaming in there trying to get out Lorcan?
Would have expected better from you
rotide, my name is not Lorcan.
I wouldn’t mind if it was, but it isn’t.
Stop calling me Lorcan.
Lorcan is most likely a very nice person, and he/she should NEVER be confused with me, you horrible little YFG shill that you are.
Have you got any sisters?Jeez just put down the bottle(s) and go to bed.
Dear kieran-KFC,
-I remember you.
What brings you back?
Are you a teenager now?
I’m not victim blaming at all. I’m questioning the decision process that lead to Burton going to a school opening in an area where people openly hated her.
Lorcan are you suggesting a minister of our government should allow herself be intimidated by a mob?
You know she and other politicians regularly go about their business without incident? Not everyone has a loudhailer in their pocket.
They removed my comment again!! gits
Last time I checked this country wasn’t a fiefdom divided by hate groups: Ms Burton made a decision to travel wherever the heck she liked.
I’m not saying that she should let herself be intimidated by a mob, but the fact of the matter is she decided to do a public appearance in an area that has no love lost for her at the very least. And whatever way you look at it, deciding to make that appearance sends very specific messages to her supporters and her detractors.
I’d be of the opinion that going there in the first place was a huge mistake, as was opening the food bank.
the students refused to accept awards from her.. they did not want her there….
this reptilian politician engineered a situation and actively enjoyed the media circus resulting from it
don’t forget the lie of her having physio from the water balloon incident. . they make it up as they go along
her word is not credible…she is an unreliable witness
^_^ This.
So let’s put her on the stand in front of a jury… this whole farce may yet have silver lining!