There were violent scenes outside the Dáil last night as members of the Garda Riot Squad charged several hundred anti-war protesters. A huge Garda presence surrounded Irish Anti-War Movement protesters shortly after 7.30 p.m. and blocked off Kildare Street to traffic.
Up to 60 uniformed gardaí and Public Order Unit officers, four mounted gardaí and a Garda helicopter bore down upon the protesters as they tried to block the entrance to Leinster House.
Protesters started by singing peace songs, according to members of the Irish Anti-War Movement. Violent scuffles broke out when gardaí in riot gear arrived and tried to disperse the crowd. "They just waded into us with their new riot gear and started manhandling us," one protester said.
An 80-year-old woman and a man in a wheelchair were among those caught up in the fracas. One woman who was shouting, "I'm 60, don't hit me," was dragged away by gardaí. Teenagers as young as 14, elderly women and children were present.
"Lots of people were crying in disgust. These people are not dissidents, they really are people who just don't want the slaughter to continue," Ms Breda Walsh said. "We were all just singing Give Peace a Chance when they came barging in," she added.
Several people were reported to have been injured when they were hauled away from the front of the crowd.
Mr Hubert McCormack was nearly knocked over when his wheelchair got stuck in the barricades erected by gardaí. "They pulled barriers in and I couldn't move and then they started charging. My front wheel got caught, they wouldn't listen, just kept pushing us," he said.
Mr Addulrahman Al Hussein (16) was near the front of the crowd when the riot members charged. "They took my shoes off me, got me in a headlock and then dropped me on my head," he said.
Mr Nashet El Nukschabaudi from Baghdad was visiting Dublin from Germany when he decided to lend his voice to the protest. "I have had no contact with my family for six days. Speaking is my only weapon now," he said. Shaking his head at the scenes, Mr El Nukschabaudi said, "There is no peace, no democracy in your country now."
When asked how gardaí intended dispersing the crowd, Chief Supt Bill Donohoe replied that it was "up to the organisers of the protest to disperse the protesters".
"It wasn't us who brought them here," he added.
Two men were arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station.
Sinn Féin TDs Caoimhín Ó Caoiláin, Sean Crowe and Aongus Ó Snodaigh and Green deputy Ciaran Cuffe were seen trying to mediate between the protests and senior Garda officers. Deputy Joe Higgins was dragged from the scene by gardaí.
"People were making a very peaceful protest and then we had a brutal response by senior Gardaí. There was no fracas at all" said Deputy Higgins last night. "The riot squad just moved in nad quite brutally started dragging people away, it was absolutely outrageous.
"It was a completely disgraceful reaction by senior Gardaí who ordered that," he said. "The Minister for Justice will have a lot of questions to answer about this."