Security plans for the weekend's May Day march in Dublin are "over-the-top", "confrontational" and may serve to incite trouble rather than prevent it, the director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties has said.
Ms Aisling Reidy has written to the Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, outlining her concerns and asking that he clarify the situation. "I am asking that he ensure all gardaí on duty know their job is as much to protect peaceful demonstrators as to keep civil order."
She was speaking as businesses along Parkgate Street, at the entrance to Phoenix Park and around the Park's perimeter prepare to close on Saturday in anticipation of violence and disorder.
The Garda are concerned the traditional May Day march could escalate into a massive demonstration against EU policy as the Irish Presidency welcomes the ten accession states on May 1st.
A banquet for the 25 prime ministers is being hosted by the Taoiseach in Farmleigh House on Saturday night. The Garda plan to close the park that day, though it has not been finalised what time it will close and reopen.
Media reports indicate between 2,000 and 5,000 gardaí will be rostered on duty in Dublin over the weekend. Water cannon have been borrowed from the PSNI while riot squad police will be on stand-by for any trouble.
Concern has arisen that the May Day march may be joined by anti-globalisation protesters from outside the State, such as members of the British Wombles movement. Airlines have been told to cross-check passenger lists with names of known "trouble-makers" provided by European police forces.
Ms Reidy has written to the Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, expressing her concern at the "heavy-handed" level of policing planned for the weekend in Dublin. She said yesterday policing arrangements were being "badly handled" and would "up the ante" rather than encourage calm.
"It isn't a Genoa or a big G8 economic event. This should be presented as a celebration of a bigger and better Europe. My fear is that once the security aspect has been hyped up it will be seen as a challenge."
Mr Martin McCaffrey, owner of the Nancy Hands and Ryan's pubs on Parkgate Street and the Hole in the Wall bar on the perimeter of the Park said he would close all three bars on Saturday "for the safety of the staff and the premises".
Mr Allan Moody, general manager of the Ashling Hotel, also on Parkgate Street, said the hotel would remain open and that it was fully booked. "But we will be putting letters in all the bedrooms telling guests there could be trouble and recommending that they carry identification."
Manager of the Sadler's Inn bar next door, Mr Bill McCann, said he would be making a decision today on whether or not to open on Saturday.
While it remains unclear which streets will be closed this Saturday and for how long, a spokesman for the Dublin Grassroots Network said the gardaí and politicians had "lost the plot".
Mr Laurence Cox said comments by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, that protesters in favour of an alternative Europe were "misguided hooligans" were an insult to "the thousands of Irish people who will take part in this weekend's events".
