Ministers reject EU ban on protesters

European Union justice ministers have rejected proposals for tough measures to prevent violent demonstrations at European summits.

The ministers met in Brussels yesterday to discuss security at future summits following violent scenes at last month's meeting of EU leaders in the Swedish city of Gothenburg.

A report on the Gothenburg riots by Sweden's National Criminal Investigation Department said three of the 460 people arrested were Irish nationals. Garda sources said they were not charged with any offence and were not previously known to the Garda.

The EU was taken aback by the scale of protests at Gothenburg, where police were overwhelmed by the violence of anti-capitalism demonstrators. Live ammunition was used, injuring three people.

The ministers were concerned about these protests at recent summits but stressed they would not curb the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully. They agreed to set up a task force of national chiefs of police to improve co-operation between forces.

The ministers rejected a proposal to prevent suspected troublemakers from travelling abroad in advance of summits and decided against establishing a European database of political activists suspected of a propensity to violence.

Ireland's Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, told the meeting it was essential to balance the right to freedom of movement, assembly and expression with the need to combat violent protests. He said Irish people had a constitutional right to travel, and it was unthinkable that activists could be prevented from going abroad.

Other member-states, including France, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark, expressed similar concerns. The proposal to create a European database was rejected as it could infringe the right to privacy and breach data-protection laws in some member-states.

The ministers agreed to use existing national legislation to curb activities of violent protesters and improve the exchange of information between forces.

Mr O'Donoghue said all ministers recognised the right of people to demonstrate but claimed that a small coterie appeared more interested in violence than political change.