A civil liberties lobby group is calling on the Government to halt a recent proposal to extend the powers of gardaí under the Public Order Act.
The umbrella group is launching a campaign to highlight the increased use of the act, claiming it is being widely used on individuals engaged in peaceful political and protest activity.
Trinity Law Professor Ms Ivana Bacik and representatives of the Irish Council of Civil Liberties (ICCL) and the Irish Anti-war movement told a press conference today the Public Order Act is increasingly being used to arrest political activists.
The group cited the case of Mr Kieran Allen, a member of the Irish anti-war movement who was fined following a protest outside the British Embassy.
During the trial, gardaí claimed Mr Allen breached Section 6 of the Public Order Act while giving a speech calling for "strong and militant resistance". He was found guilty of being in breach of the act and was fined €1,100.
According to Mr Liam Herrick of the ICCL, when the Public Order Act was introduced, the-then government claimed it was needed to deal with violent or threatening behaviour by drunken gangs. However, he said the act is now being used to suppress freedom of speech.
He said the "catch-all clause about threatening or abusive language" is being used against people who make political speeches.
Tomorrow, the group will protest outside the District Court against the arrest of one of its members, Mr Rory Hearne, who is due to appear before the court charged with offences under the Public Order Act. He was arrested at a protest outside the Burlington Hotel in Dublin outside an international conference on privatisation.