Over 3000 people gathered this evening at Pearse Street Garda station in Dublin¿s city centre to defend what they described as 'the right to protest'.
The protest comes in the wake of last Monday's 'Reclaim the Streets' march where gardaí were seen beating protesters with batons. Some gardaí were also alleged not to be displaying their identity numbers.
Fourteen people were reported to be injured when officers moved in and 24 were arrested. No gardaí were hurt.
Tonight's protest passed off peacefully, with a low key Garda presence. A speaker from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties said that people had "behaved themselves tonight, just like Monday". He said the only difference tonight was that "the gardaí behaved themselves".
There was an agreement between the protest's organisers and the Gardaí that they would disperse at 7 p.m. As the protestors left at the appointed time a lone woman in disagreement said that "yiz are letting the Gardaí win".
The protestors then marched up Dame Street, which is where the disturbances last Monday happened, to the Civic Offices at Wood Quay.
As an internal investigation into the Garda's handling of Monday's demonstration got under way, the Garda said last night a member from a north inner city station had been reassigned to indoor duties.
However, this was not enough for Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins. "I demand a full and independent investigation [into Monday's events]," he said.
Mr Higgins also alleged that what happened on Monday is happening every night in Garda stations throughout the country.
The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said he was "very disturbed" by footage of the violence from Monday's protest and that the internal Garda investigation would be thorough. "We will look at all aspects - the criminal aspects, the disciplinary aspects - and establish the facts," he told TV3 News.
The inquiry is being headed by Asst Commissioner Tony Hickey, head of the Dublin Metropolitan Region. A team of officers will prepare files, some of which could go to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A member of the Socialist Workers Party who spoke at tonight's meeting said that what happened on Monday "was not one garda out of control, this was ordered from the top". The man also said that "We should be clear that we are going to resist them and we are going to win".
Chief Superintendent William Donoghue, of Pearse Street Garda station, said: "It was extremely peaceful and quiet. We brief Gardaí in the way we do for all such marches and functions.
"We have a good track record policing demos. The odd one does go wrong from time to time."
He said the complication with policing last Monday's demonstration was that no information was previously passed to police. But officers had been warned of tonight's demonstration.
"It is easy to plan for something when we have the information," Mr Donoghue said.
"But when we have no information or communication it is very difficult. People are entitled to protest and to have their protest or meeting provided they do not break the law."
