Youth Defence occupied clinic, High Court told

Members of Youth Defence, supported by a large number of Americans, forcibly occupied a Dublin family planning clinic and filmed, threatened and intimidated staff and customers there, the High Court heard yesterday. Some clients and staff had to lock themselves into back rooms, the court was told.

An order restraining Youth Defence, two people said to be representatives of it, and a US-based Presbyterian minister, the Rev Patrick Mahony, from picketing the headquarters and clinics of the Irish Family Planning Association was granted by Ms Justice Macken.

The IFPA chief executive, Mr Tony O'Brien, told the court yesterday that members of Youth Defence and Mr Mahony of the Christian Defence Coalition of Washington DC, and "a large number of abusive fellow Americans", had forcibly occupied the association's Cathal Brugha Street clinic last Saturday.

In an affidavit, he said the 70 or so protesters had filmed staff and had threatened and intimidated them to such an extent they had to ask for Garda protection to leave.

Mr O'Brien said he heard a man identify himself to gardai at the clinic as the Rev Patrick Mahony and say he was one of 39 US citizens in Ireland "for the purposes of saving Ireland from abortion". The clinic had to close. He and some staff later returned and some clients were admitted. A woman came to get some leaflets. She returned with a young man and said she wanted to make an appointment and he let them in. The man then put his foot in the door as he went out and shouted. Mr O'Brien tried to shut the door but a large number of men came charging in. Among a group who pushed him over was Mr Mahony, he said.

They occupied the clinic and said they would be there "every day". Some of the staff locked themselves into back rooms with clients for hours until it was over.

Close-up photographs were taken of himself, the clinic manager and the IFPA chairwoman, Ms Catherine Forde, and he was subject to "extreme verbal abuse". Protesters had answered phones and told callers they could not talk to anyone in the clinic as they were murderers. The protesters left at 5 p.m. Mr O'Brien said he and Ms Forde were followed by protesters down O'Connell Street and, when they went into a hotel, the crowd had chanted and roared outside. Eventually gardai had to order a taxi and remove the crowd.

Youth Defence had picketed the clinic regularly since last June, Mr O'Brien said, on most Saturdays in November and December and, since January, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday also. He said many clients had stated they were intimidated.

He believed Saturday's events were led by Mr Mahony to demonstrate tactics used in the US by similar groups. In the US, antiabortion groups had fire-bombed clinics and even murdered doctors, he said.

Given the threats made, he was afraid Youth Defence would increase picketing outside IFPA clinics and was concerned staff would leave rather than endure harassment, and clients would be so intimidated they would not avail of the IFPA's services.

Ms Justice Macken granted an interim injunction to Mr Paul McDermott SC, for the IFPA, against Youth Defence, Mountjoy Square, Dublin; Ms Niamh Nic Mhathuna, Barton Road East, Churchtown, Dublin; Mr Maurice Colgan, Tonlegee Road, Dublin and the Rev Patrick Mahony, of the Christian Defence Coalition.

The order restrains the defendants from picketing or trespassing at the IFPA's headquarters at Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin and its clinics at Cathal Brugha Street, Synge Street and Tallaght.

It also restrains obstruction or harassment of people at the premises, intimidating, molesting or interfering with Mr O'Brien or any staff by use of crude and obnoxious language or otherwise. The orders are returnable to Thursday next.