Dublin city protests announced over Jobstown arrests

A protest against alleged “political policing” will take place in Dublin on Saturday, the anti-water charge campaign has announced.

The demonstration, which will start at the Central Bank at 2pm, comes as almost two dozen people have been arrested in connection with a rally that took place in Jobstown, Co Dublin, last November.

Organisers say 23 people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the protest in which Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton was barricaded inside a car for more than two hours.

A series of protests have been held in recent days, which organisers said were to highlight political policing targeting the anti-water charge movement.

A rally outside the Departmnet of Justice last Thursday was followed by a march outside Tallaght Garda station on Saturday which was attended by between 500 and 700 people.

Speaking at a press conference in Dublin on Tuesday morning Sandra Fay, a teacher from Tallaght who was involved in the Jobstown demonstration, said the arrests were a misuse of Garda resources.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this is political policing,” she said, adding that Garda resources would be better used to tackle “serious crime”.

She told reporters she expected to be arrested over her role in the Jobstown protest. She said she has been waking up at 6am every morning expecting gardaí to call to her house.

She called on members of the public nationwide to hold candlelit vigils outside Garda station at 6pm on Saturday.

Gardaí said accusation against those being questioned include false imprisonment and public order offences.

Earlier this month Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy, councillors Kieran Mahon and Mick Murphy as well as republican activist Scott Masterson were arrested and detained in connection with the Jobstown investigation.