PROTESTS:TENS OF thousands of people are expected to take part in today's Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) protest against the Government's austerity plan.
The Garda said it was anticipating in excess of 50,000 protesters, while congress would not speculate on the likely turnout.
Congress has organised press advertising and is running a Facebook campaign aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to attend. It also said people would be travelling by bus from around the country to participate.
Congress general secretary David Begg said on Thursday that the march and rally would be a family-friendly event which would be peaceful, good humoured and very well stewarded.
Gardaí have a public order plan in place to try to prevent any disturbances.
Ictu president Jack O’Connor said he believed there would be no trouble at the march or the GPO rally.
He claimed “a campaign of disinformation and dirty tricks” had been orchestrated by figures in the establishment in recent days aimed at discouraging people from attending the march.
Gardaí fear some groups may break away from the main protest and occupy a public building they believe will not be sufficiently secured.
Senior officers have identified a number of buildings, including the Dáil and Department of Education, that may be stormed and additional Garda resources have been assigned to them.
Members of the public order unit, or riot squad, will also be discreetly deployed in vehicles on side streets off the main march route and around the area of O’Connell Street where the protest will culminate.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said policing would be fair but any disturbances would be met with a firm response.
“Our policing will be proportionate, sympathetic and carried out with fairness but if people break the law we will be firm,” he said at a Garda Reserve graduation ceremony in Templemore, Co Tipperary.
While a very large number of uniformed gardaí will police today’s protest, other specialist units, including the mounted unit and dog unit, will be deployed if disturbances begin and a more robust policing operation is needed.
The operation will be managed by Chief Supt Michael O’Sullivan and Assistant Commissioner Mick Feehan. Chief Supt O’Sullivan said gardaí wanted to facilitate a peaceful protest but that a small number of groups may be intent on trouble.
The protesters’ route and the streets around the city centre will all be closely monitored by Garda CCTV. The Garda helicopter will also be in the skies above the city.
Thousands of gardaí across the country have been given special public order refresher training ahead of today’s protest and other recession-related rallies planned for the weeks ahead.
Senior Garda officers have also undergone special public order commander courses.
“While obviously dealing with any disturbances or violence is a key feature, the main concern is preventing surges in large crowds that could crush people,” said one source.
The protest will start on Wood Quay at noon, before crossing over to the north quays to Ormond Quay, continuing on to Bachelors Walk and then O’Connell Street, arriving at the GPO between 1pm and 2pm.
Speeches will be made from a specially erected stage and broadcast on large screens for about one hour. Participants are due to include Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole and musicians Christy Moore and Frances Black.
“As much as possible, people will be facilitated onto O’Connell Street and with facilities of audio and visual they will be able to hear and see what’s taking place,” Supt John Gilligan of the Garda Press Office said.
The business group Chambers Ireland said the protest was “out of touch with reality”.
Disruption to traffic in Dublin City centre is expected and both sides of O’Connell Street will be closed for the duration of the demonstration.
Luas Red Line services will only operate between Tallaght and Smithfield.