Mostly Peaceful

at

This afternoon.

Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

A demonstration, organised by the right-wing National Party outside the Dáil against covid restrictions, is confronted by a group from a larger, left-wing counter-demonstration, supporting the government’s lockdown approach, who broke through a Garda cordon on Molesworth Street before being repelled.

Both sides wielded Irish tricolours, with the mostly-masked left-wing element also carrying EU Starry Plough flags. Neither group strictly observed any of the HSE’s social distancing guidelines during the melee.

RollingNews

Thanks KN

Sponsored Link

145 thoughts on “Mostly Peaceful

    1. MME

      The pot-bellied gnome with the camp voice giving the crème de la crème of inbreds an outlet for their anger (the source of which still eludes them).

      1. MME

        Lol. I don’t think wee Justin Barrett is a DIT lecturer. He is a heady 5 foot 3 inches – in heels I think. A perfect panto villan – a kind of Widow Stanky meets Eva Braun meets Jimmy Saville.

        1. MME

          But not far-right supremacy evidently.

          In any event, I think making an issue of Barrett’s teeny tinyness should be permitted given what he claims to represent: come on man, one would expect more than a twerpy goblin. Although then again, perhaps he does look the part for what he represents!

        1. Daisy Chainsaw

          Were they? It’s been so long since there was one where as the maskholes have been polluting the city centre with their donkey derbies every week, whether led by racists, or other idiots.

        2. MacGafraidh

          SOQ, 1,012 cases today. Lockdown and masks don’t work right? Lift the restrictions wasn’t it?

      1. Scundered

        I support anyone’s freedom of speech although during a pandemic it’s pretty dumb

        Antifa have always been the very thing they said they would protect you from, but maybe you’re ok with violent mobs controlling your speech

        1. Fergus The Magic Postman

          Antifa told you they were going to protect you from something? Tell me more about them as you seem to have a direct line of communication with them. Who are THEY?

          The idea that an ideology told you something amazes me.

          1. Scundered

            So you reckon an idea lifted those barricades eh? My money’s still on it being a group of organised desperately misguided people. Just like those on the other side.

            First you could start with the name Antifa, that’s a statement you know, did you not know what it meant?

          2. Paul

            You sound like Trump when he said “both sides are to blame” that time the fascists killed someone at a protest.

          3. Scundered

            Paul, Antifa have no business being there, if they really are anti fascist they should go have a fight with themselves as the protest is about masks, Antifa deliberately misunderstand facts so much that they are fast becoming the bigger enemy

      2. MaryLou's ArmaLite

        Fascists dress in black and go around telling people what to do, whereas… Antifa….

      1. Centerest dad

        “there’s no right side here”
        uh, I think you can safely say that the fascists are the wrong side.

        1. millie madonna

          Yes, that’s exactly what I meant! Mad for a bit of casual fascism, so I am.

          Seriously though, the continued anti mask protests and the violent response? Both are wrong here, and that’s what I was getting at. This display is selfishness at best.

          1. SOQ

            That wasn’t an anti MANDATE protest millie- that was The National Party attempting to jump on it’s coat tails.

          2. SOQ

            And my correction is this rather than that.. Still, a dog reacting its own refection is always amusing.

            Especially as SF are about to throw about half their supporters under the bus by supporting another lock down.

        1. SOQ

          A bit like shaving your gooleys?

          We gays are all wildflower these days btw- bita hedge trimming and let the lawnmower take care of the rest.

  1. MME

    So let me get this straight, these “National Party” guys aren’t paedos? Because, and I’m not being funny here, but some of them certainly look a bit paedo-ey so I don’t get the whole “paedo scum off our streets” mantra – surely they are not against themselves?

    Oh, they’re not paedos you might bellow? Okay. It’s just they had, you know, fairly noncey energy about them. They’re furiously angry about something, but then when you scratch the surface, you find they’re actually just against gays or foreigners or something, and they’ve tacked on some other cause to add legitimacy to their shite – not this crowd though, they seem like a real sound bunch of lads who certainly didn’t just land into town here for a fight.

    1. Charger Salmons

      What exactly is looking ” a bit paedo-ey ” ?
      Are they dressed up as priests ?
      Asking for the Pope.

      1. MME

        Well wee Justin is allegedly a committed Catholic so make of that what you will…although some might dispute this.

        1. E'Matty

          Well, Pat Corcoran alleged founder of AntiFa Ireland is a former civil servant who worked with the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage, and Gaeltacht. In 2009, he was found to be in possession of over 7,000 images and 21 videos featuring child sexual abuse and torture.

          1. MME

            No idea who Corcoran is but he might be hard up for cash which is likely to be true if these convictions are correct. Your post claiming he is the alleged founder of Antifa likely gives him cause for a handy defamation action if untrue or can’t be proven.You see, the use of “alleged” doesn’t make it less defamatory.

          2. Bodger

            NME, a child porn guy argues that claiming he runs Irish Antifa lowers him in the estimation of society. It’s a novel gambit. We shall watch the courts.

  2. millie madonna

    Glad to see the Gardaí wearing masks. The badge shouldn’t exempt them from wearing them. The virus certainly doesn’t discriminate.

  3. jonboy

    I know it’s cool to hate on the Anti-Fascists these days but those ‘keep Ireland Irish’ guys really are a gang of donkeys

  4. fluffybiscuits

    Not right but far right

    The only way to keep fascists in line is a boot firmly placed to keep them down

  5. V AKA Frilly Keane

    While they were all there
    At Leinster House
    With their camera phones and flags and microphones and YouTube channels
    Any chance they could protest against the Sh8tsh8w inside

    Face it folks
    We’re no closer to managing this pandemic today
    Than we were last March
    Still no exit strategy
    While Oireachtas members get paybumps + special advisors to do the work
    And all they can do is blame students and GAA clubs for everything they’re getting wrong

    Meanwhile, outside tis masks v anti masks that’s getting people riled up
    No wonder the shower inside the gates could savage PUP
    Cause no one outside would give a shy..

    Priorities FFS

    Justin Barrett – gimme a break
    Him and his party – FFS eile, aren’t even worth the effort of a bus fare
    A political party with not one policy that isn’t about race religion or women’s rights
    The contents in the ash pan under the wood burner here has harder lumps in it, and more staying power in a draught, than that putrid little windbag

    C’mon

  6. Pee Pee..

    How you frame this Bodger. Ur a nasty individual. How are the counter demonstrators supporting the government’s approach? They’re cleary opposed to NP scum. Which it seems, you support.

    1. Bodger

      Pee Pee, I’m sorry you feel that way. I made great efforts to present it as fairly as possible while also capturing some of the absurdity. I have no time for either group above, an entirely mutual arrangement in both cases, but this was a demonstration about public health, not Cable Street, and the left strongly support NPHET/WHO policy, which happens to make me sad (so that may have come across).

      1. MME

        One or two of the NP guys have convictions for assault. You think they turned up to make a point about “public health”?! Jay-sus#2

        1. Bodger

          It’s just as well then that the radical left appear to have grown physically brawnier in the past week.

          1. MME

            Grand so. You think Ireland’s tiniest bigot organised a rally with his thugs, some of whom have convictions for assault, because of an abiding concern for over-zealous health measures?

            And, I guess as Trump said re Charlottesville, your take is that “there was bad on both sides”.

            Permit my centre-right self to go YIKES!

          2. Nigel

            The determination to make antifa the scary bogeyman is palpable, while the radical right take over the world.

          3. Kdoc

            It is just as well. The far right’s storm trooper thugs, including some trained by the British military, have been meting out violence to counter protesters for months – and getting away with it. Unfortunately, the counter protesters’ increased muscle was a necessary corrective. My preference would be to see the law dealing with the drivers of far-right thugs, but even though some of the far-right ‘security detail’ had weapons, including steel studded gloves, at previous demonstrations and inflicted injuries, nothing has been done.

          4. Nigel

            The attitude seems to be that we must ignore the far right thugs and their acts of violence and intimidation, apparently this will make them ‘go away,’ while treating the very presence or merest mention of antifa as an all-out assault on civil society.

          5. MaryLou's ArmaLite

            I detest the thugs on both sides.

            Your excuse making for leftist thugs, we can do it because they do it too, is disgusting. You present yourself as virtuous, but we see what lurks beneath.

        2. V AKA Frilly Keane

          That useless twerp organised today’s outing ’cause he wanted his turn
          And had no intention of sharing the soapbox & mic with any other crowd
          Especially the groups with women at or near the top

          1. MME

            Well women threaten Barrett – they tend to be taller. He didn’t mind sharing his soapbox and immediate vicinity with individuals with convictions for assault, physical and sexual.

      2. ReproBertie

        I thought it was a balanced mockery of both Bodger. We may not agree on much but I’m with you on having no time for either side in this nonsense.

          1. ReproBertie

            LOL! Grow up. Both sides protesting today were happy to break the guidelines making them equally worthy of my scorn. They can all get in the sea as far as I’m concerned.

          1. E'Matty

            @ Ithaca. If you saw these groups yourself you’d likely agree with my description of them both as thugs. It certainly wasn’t flower in the hair protesting. As for calling others idiots, I think you’ll find that’s pretty tame for social media and quite often the only apt description to apply.

  7. E'Matty

    Was walking up Westmoreland Street around 3pm today and met the “counterprotesters”. About 50 thugs dressed all in black wearing black masks shouting “Nazi scum off our streets”. A more sinister and aggressive looking shower of clowns would be hard to find. Really sorry not to get a video. Very odd, aggressive and sinister, albeit small group.

    1. MME

      Wow – don’t believe your flimflam for a second but that is irrelevant. I am mostly STUNNED at the possibility your left the basement. WELL DONE! Crikey.

      1. E'Matty

        Yeah, well hundreds if not thousands would have seen them marching like a band of scumbags through town. Of course a clown like you jumps to defend these fascists pretending to be anti fascist.

    1. E'Matty

      I’d caution against believing them to be who they claim to be and the media say they are. Saw them myself. These were no Left Wing group. Looked like an inner city gang of thugs paid to go into town and cause trouble.

      1. Clampers Outside

        Oooohhhh, those damn anti-mask Nazis are everywhere! Thank god Antifa are here to save the day, beat people up, threaten the media and have a go at the Gardai, phew!

        1. MME

          And tiny tot Justin Barrett’s crew, some of whom have convictions for assault both physical and sexual, didn’t arrive in for a brawl?!

          Chapeau bas Clampers.

      1. E'Matty

        Daisy, you’re a complete fool supporting these thugs just because they call themselves Anti Fascist. If you’d seen them walking through yourself you might not be so quick to jump to their support. They are exactly what you think you’re opposing.

          1. Nullzero

            At least we can always rely on the usual suspects (Daisy, Nigel etc..) to be on the side of whatever social justice bandwagon is rolling through town.
            Antifa aren’t a rock worth perishing on, any cursory research of the “idea” that is Antifa shows what a sorry excuse for a movement they really are.

          2. Nullzero

            Stay in my lane?

            How’s the malignant narcissism coming along there professor?

            No insight, no shame and no clue what’s going on, typical SJW nonsense. At least you’re consistent.

          3. Daisy Chainsaw

            Shush, Patpat. Grownups are talking.

            And poor Null, triggered by seeing the fash get neutered.

          4. Nullzero

            Triggered by seeing the fash get neutered? Big John Fashanu had his boo-boos chopped off?

            Seriously though, those people are hardly Fascists, you really have no idea what Fascism is do you?
            As for what happened, it looked like a bunch of lefty whingers assaulting some railings. That take improvised safety barriers.

            You really are off in cloud cuckoo land.

          1. bisted

            …on reflection, a typical Bodger answer…just possible that one may be right but most likely, on evidence to date, that all are wrong…

          2. Ithaca

            It’s sad that Bodger is so out there that he/she/they actually thinks that mocking both sides equally is the best thing to do in all the circumstances. Has there ever been a more “Wake up, sheeple” moment?

          3. E'Matty

            @Ithaca. Both sides were just gangs of thugs. I don’t believe these Anti Fascist guys were a genuinely Left Wing AntiFa group. I know lots of the AntiFa guys personally (old school punks and crusties) This was definitely not them.

          4. V AKA Frilly Keane

            Oddly enough eMattie
            For a newcomer around here – and I’m particularly cautious about comelately logins
            I actually agree with you

            That level of Garda response / presence tells me someone somewhere was doing a bit of organisational troublemaking. Packing the tribes together. With barriers n’all.

            Stirring the pot like
            Making anti lockdown protesting news of a different sort, rather than questioning the management of the Pandemic to date or protesting Government
            Especially the weekend before Budget 21

            Yesterday was proof of that. The National Party worry no-one FFS. Dig down into my tweets to see exactly how their silent majority actually summed up in the ballot boxes

            Comedy Central knew exactly how to deal with Justin Barrett – make him a laughing stock instead of taking him seriously.
            Jesus t’night, he can’t even take himself serious.
            If he did he wouldn’t be turning up to public events at full four sheets. Even his own party members, if they were all that FFS, would have removed him by now.

            Note it again lads. The HSE have got over 20 billion this year alone (+ other income well past 8 figures)

            But shur’ look – there’s lads boxing each other on the streets, those bloody students and GAA supporters are just as bad
            So don’t mind us – we’re doing out best
            Look Claire there is even getting injections n’all
            Wash yer hands Wear a mask, dickie up the curtains
            We’re all as we were but needed a payrise + 64 Special Advisors
            But you’ll all just have to make do and make the best of it

          5. Nigel

            Yeah, radical politicians who are also hilarious clowns that can be made fun of never get into positions of power to enact their extreme policies, which is why people like Farage, Johnson and whatsisname with the hair are just historical curiosities for books compiling lists of political Darwin Awards.

  8. deluded

    I wonder why we have anti-fascists?
    There were no anti-fascists on the streets when I were a lad. Violence and rioting was by the usual criminals and soccer thugs (notoriously right wing if you recall).
    The “left” were all about negotiating and compromise until they were completely neutered: now they can’t utter a word without someone bleating about them supporting a government initiative or upsetting the bullies.

    1. V AKA Frilly Keane

      Partly
      Back then, The Trade Union Movement kept the left organised
      And disciplined, in formation, and under strict rules and standing orders
      And anyone too radical was booted out under some clause or by law in their members rulebook, or motion at annual congress/ AGM / SGM

      That’s where anarchy and the militant left recruited from

      Since the Trade Union Movement – particularly in Ireland anyway
      Has actually split and splintered itself – it wouldn’t even recognize itself from as recently as 30 years ago

      These unknown but with catchy names – are unofficial unions I suppose

      In matching gear
      Gathering at corners
      No one in charge

      There will never be lockouts and official pickets again here that get enough support, or become a big enough threat that requires water cannons and mounted Gardai to charge in
      And in turn bring the people out into the streets to stand up for themselves

      Look at the reaction to yesterday
      F’all support for either side beyond their own attendees, followers and livestream watchers
      And the hashtag outrage of course – can’t leave them out

      If the whole thing wasn’t so infuriating
      It would be comical

      Yes it has come to this
      We’re – we, us, I, the everyday citizen
      Are the joke the establishment are pi55ing themselves laughing at

      1. deluded

        Interesting point V, maybe I just haven’t experienced enough of these types, from my perspective I only see the history of exploitation and pointless division of people according to colour or creed.
        Now you mention it I remember being baffled at the hostility to immigrants by certain union members in a place I worked long ago.
        It seemed logical to me to argue for equal rights: therefore nobody could undercut you and replace you.

  9. E'Matty

    This supposed anti fascist group looked like a group of paid for thugs. A gang of very aggressive almost exclusively male (Saw one woman amongst them) scumbags marching aggressively through town itching for violence. Quite frankly they looked like an inner city drugs gang. Who are they? Where did they come from? I grew up with a lot of the guys who are now antiFa and I can tell you, these guys were not AntiFa. This is some sponsored group going under the guise of being an Anti Fascist Action group but they have the smell of a sponsored group constructed to be provocateurs of violence for media consumption and public manipulation.

      1. E'Matty

        Nope. These were not an Anti Fascist Left Wing Group. They had all the hallmarks of a paid for group of thugs put out to create exactly this kind of division. Today we’re all supposed to ask which one these groups of gougers we’re supporting. The only correct answer is neither.

          1. E'Matty

            I dunno. Maybe you should approach this group when they’re out next and ask them? I’m sure you’ll be received warmly by your brothers in arms.

    1. deluded

      It would certainly make sense for the zerohedge types to fund agent provocateurs to demonise any opposition to the Nazi scum and their anti-society agenda.
      It reminds me of the protests at the invasion of Iraq and the US military use of Shannon. Only us cranks were prepared to stand up to the bullies and protest while the rest of the people muttered about not upsetting the IT and pharmaceutical industries we are dependent on, as if corporations actually care one way or another!

      1. E'Matty

        True. I just remember in the run up to the Iraq invasion when the Anti War protests were on, the BBC, RTE and Co would put out a very articulate and seemingly well informed diplomat or policy “expert” to support the invasion but when they interviewed the Anti War protesters it was invariably some highly emotional low information student type. They deliberately seek out poor spokespeople to try portray such movements as morons. Of course, those anti war protesters were proven right. Yet, you still see the msm trot out the same pro War voices whenever they want to justify their next resource grab as if they still have any credibility.

      2. V AKA Frilly Keane

        C’mere Delulu
        While I don’t doubt the Zerohedgers would have that carry-on in their game plan
        I don’t think tis at street level – not at a Justin Barrett (neé Slevin btw (-_-;) ) street level anyway

        More local I reckon

  10. Ithaca

    It’s sad that Bodger is so out there that he/she/them/they actually thinks that mocking both sides equally is the best thing to do in all the circumstances. Has there ever been a more “Wake up, sheeple” moment?

    1. Bodger

      Both sides contain humourless extremists who believe it’s Berlin in the 1930s and include more controlled opposition than Manchester City’s back four.

      1. V AKA Frilly Keane

        Ah now lads
        One of the speakers yesterday has being on Comedy Central
        With John Moynes

        Like
        That’s a level of funny that some people would put into the IMBD profile

        Ha. C’mere should the BS.tv ensemble have IMBD what have ya

          1. Vanessanelle

            Justin was on Comedy Central a while back
            that’s how funny he is

            and that’s how you treat him
            as a comedy act

            All those lads engaged to go down there on Saturday just for a digging match
            should just laugh at him
            and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh
            Roll around the streets
            and the barricades
            laughing

    2. E'Matty

      It’s sad that you think we all must support one of these groups of thugs and that you believe a group are exactly as they label themselves and what they claim to be.

  11. Nigel

    While you’re virtuously declaring that both sides in a scruffy little street brawl are just as bad as each other, the far right is working to install minority white rule in the US, is turning the UK into a neoliberal hellhole, and Poland into a LGBTQ-free zone. But antifa are yucky.

    1. Scundered

      Antifa are the ones on the streets every night for months, burning down anything they can, in huge numbers, unlike the sort of far right that you are cherry picking which is miniscule. Antifa have become the biggest recruitment tool for republicans this year, better than any advertising campaign. Why not start being honest about your false comparisons.

      1. Nigel

        What are you talking about? No they’re not. And as for Republicans they’ll lie about anything and everything, and should be treated as such.

        1. Pat Mustard

          What are you talking about? Yes they are. And as for the Democrats they’ll lie about anything and everything, and should be treated as such.

          1. Scundered

            Sounds like Nigel thinks that most right leaning people support white supremacy, which would be a gigantic error, the right by and large detest identity politics, it has grown over the last few years because of the left making race an issue, it is the left who are obsessed with it.

  12. Kolmo

    The shoots of the whole plan are popping up from the soil before our very eyes – politics in Ireland is now being reduced to the dangerous them and us, comrade or mortal enemy, the vitriol gets louder and louder until people eventually start getting killed, and it’s a 100% guarantee they will go too far. Genuine societal disaffection has been hijacked by outside elements and their useful wannabe brain-damaged caricatures of english football hooligans – oldest trick in the fupping book. Organised online cacophony of goading normally reasonable people into naturally reacting to the lowest, worst possible allegations and slurs they can think of, piss-easy plan to cause chaos, everyone is now shouting at each other. We’re all distracted by the nightmare vision of the well-known spittle-flecked shouty-pointy mad man as those pulling the strings in this operation quietly slide into positions of influence in the background. Never waste a crisis.

  13. Abby

    It’s sad that you think we all must support one of these groups of thugs and that you believe a group is exactly as they label themselves and what they claim to be. maybe I just haven’t experienced enough of these types, from my perspective I only see the history of exploitation and pointless division of people according to color or creed.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie