Madam, – The media coverage of the aftermath of the peaceful student march on Wednesday did not reflect events. As a witness, I saw opportunists from political groups, who did not represent the Union of Students in Ireland, throw missiles at the gardaí after the arrest of protesters occupying the Department of Finance. This and only this has been reported in the news.
What has not been reported is the brutal treatment of a group of students who mounted a sit-down protest outside the department in response to the actions of the police. The protesters were peaceful and unarmed. They were hemmed in by riot police who then repeatedly and indiscriminately batoned them. Photographers were manhandled by gardaí. A young woman was dragged by her feet along the ground, unable to defend herself. Three riot vans occupied most of the road space, preventing people from speedily escaping the violence.
This is what I saw. But what I felt? Powerless, vulnerable and outraged. I don’t condone violent actions of minority factions, but most of those targeted by police were not part of these. In their relentless aggression, the gardaí betrayed their people and their duty. It seems that every day, the Irish public is increasingly alienated by the institutions set up to work for them. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – As I walked towards O’Connell Street on Wednesday I was met with a cacophony of sound as drums, chants, banners, and thousands of students crossed O’Connell Bridge in the rain. The sheer volume of the march, organised by the Union of Students in Ireland, seemed to take many onlookers (myself included) by surprise. The protesters appeared to be in good spirits and well behaved, and they created a tangible buzz around the area. From my perspective, the reactions of drivers and onlookers trying to make their way through the crowds appeared to be positive and quite supportive.
People coming together like this in huge numbers sometimes has a way of creating a lift and optimism for the country, creating a renewed sense of belief in people- power and democracy. Banners reading “Education not emigration” pushed the validity of their argument to the fore.
I am not a student, but I believe this issue affects the long-term future of the country, and experiencing this protest reminded me of the important need for real debate about it. How disappointing then that the headlines will instead read “Gardaí and students clash in Dublin”, and YouTube videos will be entitled “Police brutality”. Yet again, a very small percentage of the group – unsurprisingly the Socialist Workers Party was clearly visible to the fore in the midst of the clashes – brought down the strength of their actions by acting like unruly children.
I hope that somehow the message will get out that thousands of people travelled long distances to protest peacefully; and that the real issue will not be side-tracked by the more glamorous elements of “clashes”, riot police and violence. – Is mise,
A chara, – I am a third-level student and was at the protest in Dublin against the proposed increase in registration fees for undergraduates. It is a cause which I and thousands of my fellow students strongly believe in and it sickens me that the peaceful, legitimate actions of the majority of those in attendance have been overshadowed by the actions of a violent, anti-democratic minority.
During the march to the Dáil, I witnessed members of the Socialist Workers’ Party and Éirigí branch off from the main body of protesters in a quick, calculated manner that led me to conclude their actions at the Department of Finance were entirely premeditated. I continued to the Dáil with the main body of protesters but from eye-witness accounts and video footage, I am fully confident that the ensuing violence was primarily instigated by these extremists and not, as many media outlets have implied, by students in attendance at the protest. – Is mise,
Madam, – Around the time of the student protest several protesters attempted to occupy the Department of Finance. The majority of these protesters were arrested. This has been reported, but at the time of writing this (Wednesday night) the public has not been informed of the events that occurred directly after this, which I witnessed.
A group of people congregated after witnessing the arrests. Projectiles were then hurled intermittently at the building, the gardaí outside the building and the gardaí on horseback. The projectiles were thrown by probably fewer than 15 people, while well over 50 other people sat down in the street with their hands in the air to show they were peaceful. The gardaí told the crowd to disperse. The majority of the crowd refused, but the projectiles had ceased by then. After several minutes, those peaceful protesters who were sitting with their hands in the air were charged several times by gardaí on horseback. At least two protesters’ bodies’ were caught in the legs of these horses. Around this time the majority of the crowd dispersed in fear.
The Riot Squad then arrived and began to surround the remaining members of the crowd after forcibly ejecting several photographers. Proceeding, several acts of extreme violence occurred against these remaining protesters who continued to remain sitting still with their hands either in the air or on the ground.
I would appeal to all the photographers on the roofs adjacent or opposite the Government Buildings, and all those who saw, or have any proof of, the excessive brutality the gardaí used against this crowd to make public their findings so we can properly assess these events that have so far suffered from an ubiquitous silence in the media. - Yours, etc,
Madam, – I can understand why some third-level students would object to paying higher registration fees – if I were paying only a small portion of the cost of something while I got to retain most of the benefits, I would seek to preserve the status quo also.
However, the real protest should be aimed at this (and previous) governments’ consistent failure to come up with a sensible, fair and economically sound education policy which seeks to properly address all of the key issues – access, adequate funding of quality institutions and a fair allocation of costs and benefits to name but three.
“Free” third-level education is not the answer to access issues. Clearly it does not help funding concerns either, as illustrated by the prospect of escalating “registration” fees in straightened fiscal times. Rather than protest for a policy that does not work, why not use the current crisis as an opportunity to develop a policy that does? Everyone would be better off as a result. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Having organised a rally in protest at increases in registration fees, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) president Gary Redmond said he expected thousands of students from colleges across the State to attend (Home News, November 3rd).
I find it puzzling that the USI is so strongly opposed to the prospect of an Irish student having to pay €3,000 to attend university and yet is complacent with the current practice of non-EU students paying fees ranging from €15,000 for a law degree to €40,000 for a degree in medicine (UCD).
If the USI and Gary Redmond were truly concerned about students’ ability to pay fees in this country, surely they’d be campaigning just as vigorously for the lowering of fees for non-EU students as well? Failing this, perhaps Mr Redmond could change his organisation’s name to the Union of Students from Ireland. – Yours, etc,