ReOccupy Galway 2013- A short film detailing Gardai abuse of power

endacl

sphincter_boy wrote: »

A great use of Garda Resources so, 20 or so Garda spending the day and well into the night policing a "hang about in".

Now I finally understand why we can't afford all those police stations closing down around the country, and why the Guards never bothered turning up when I made a noise complaint at 5am on a Monday morning cause my neighbours were throwing their furniture out the window onto the traffic.

It's cause they're doing real valuable policing. They are stoppping the real gangsters from protesting peacefully in a public space, they are earning their money by pulling chalk out of peoples hands when they are trying to write on a wet footpath.

Good to know that my taxes are being spent on such valuable police work.

Better a day spent easily moving a 'hang about in' than a weekend spent dismantling a camp and moving an 'occupy'.

Clever use of resources I'd have to say. Maybe if you were genuinely concerned about wasting Garda resources, you wouldn't support these pointless wasterpaloozas in the first place?

Doctor_Socks

Guards came across as being very professional in that video, don't really see what the problem is regarding the way they are carrying out their work

sphincter_boy

endacl wrote: »

Better a day spent easily moving a 'hang about in' than a weekend spent dismantling a camp and moving an 'occupy'.

Clever use of resources I'd have to say. Maybe if you were genuinely concerned about wasting Garda resources, you wouldn't support these pointless wasterpaloozas in the first place?

Irregardless of whether you believe in a specific protest movement or not. You should believe that everybody in Ireland has a right to protest peacefully. This country has a long proud tradition of peaceful protests doesn't it?

The garda stood in the way of Occupy's peaceful protest by seizing property and stifling free speech.

Voltaire said memorably that: "I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

This quote is kind of the basis for our modern democratic society of which the Irish constituion is its basis.

You might not give a toss about these fundamental rights, but anyone with their head out of their ass really should.

endacl

I do of course agree with their right to protest. The problem is that when a notion like occupy implants itself in a certain sector of Irish vocational protestry, instead of them being an temporary annoyance, they become a semipermanent fixture. An annoying whiney one. If, for example, victims of clerical abuse, or any number of other groups with a genuine and addressable grievance wanted to occupy a square and make their voices heard, I'd support that. I'd even join them.

When its the usual suspects turning up to compare dreadlocks and djembes though, sorry. Move 'em on. 'I don't like the way the world works' is not an addressable grievance. Nobody who could make a blind bit of difference paid a blind bit of notice to them. Even when they were moved on. I engaged occupiers in both Galway and Dublin. Heard lots of semi coherent ranting about what was wrong with the world. And not one single idea of a solution to address those issues beyond 'let's stay here for a bit and whine'.

The net effect of occupy in Ireland? Some people who hadn't thought much about the various and rambling issues raised by occupiers, thought that those problems must be ridiculous, because the people who told them were ridiculous. Total effective change? Zip. Nada. Nothing.

As it happens, I do care about many of the issues that the more coherent occupiers raised. I have done since long before occupy. As somebody who goes care about those issues, occupy pissed me off no end. They turned many people away from caring.

sphincter_boy

endacl wrote: »

I do of course agree with their right to protest. The problem is that when a notion like occupy implants itself in a certain sector of Irish vocational protestry, instead of them being an temporary annoyance, they become a semipermanent fixture. An annoying whiney one. If, for example, victims of clerical abuse, or any number of other groups with a genuine and addressable grievance wanted to occupy a square and make their voices heard, I'd support that. I'd even join them.

When its the usual suspects turning up to compare dreadlocks and djembes though, sorry. Move 'em on. 'I don't like the way the world works' is not an addressable grievance. Nobody who could make a blind bit of difference paid a blind bit of notice to them. Even when they were moved on. I engaged occupiers in both Galway and Dublin. Heard lots of semi coherent ranting about what was wrong with the world. And not one single idea of a solution to address those issues beyond 'let's stay here for a bit and whine'.

The net effect of occupy in Ireland? Some people who hadn't thought much about the various and rambling issues raised by occupiers, thought that those problems must be ridiculous, because the people who told them were ridiculous. Total effective change? Zip. Nada. Nothing.

As it happens, I do care about many of the issues that the more coherent occupiers raised. I have done some long before occupy. As somebody who goes care about those issues, occupy pissed me off no end. They turned many people away from caring.

Well thanks for proving my point, to cut a long story short you don't agree with this specific protest movement so therefore you're happy for their right to protest to be stifled. That's the exact opposite of "I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

At least you should know the point that you are trying to make.

endacl

sphincter_boy wrote: »

Well thanks for proving my point, to cut a long story short you don't agree with this specific protest movement so therefore you're happy for their right to protest to be stifled. That's the exact opposite of "I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

At least you should know the point that you are trying to make.

That's not what I said, but of course you know that...

endacl

Lennonist wrote: »

The video that was uploaded does nothing to promote your protest, in fact it undermines it and paints the OG people in attendance in a very bad light. If you can't see that you haven't a hope of getting your message across. People are unhappy with a lot of things in the economy and well organised and focused protests can put pressure on government to act, ye are going the wrong way about it and turning people off the notion of street protests. Ye are undermining your own agenda.

Actually......

Yep. That's what I said.

A more apt tittle would be 4 people in a square in Galway 2013- A short film detailing how courteous Guardai deal with uncooperative, ignorant and rude individuals who believe themselves above the law.

happyoutscan

Were they really shouting 'who invited you' to the Gardai?

How ironic.

flynnlives

still didnt answer my question from page 1

not surprising really, when i questioned the people at the previous camp/tent about the freeman nonsense they were just as vague.

Actually they just stared into space....they knew it was bull****, i knew it was bull**** and for a second i could see they hadnt a fecking clue what they were doing. And the world was as one.

Donnielighto

sphincter_boy wrote: »

A great use of Garda Resources so, 20 or so Garda spending the day and well into the night policing a "hang about in".

Now I finally understand why we can't afford all those police stations closing down around the country, and why the Guards never bothered turning up when I made a noise complaint at 5am on a Monday morning cause my neighbours were throwing their furniture out the window onto the traffic.

It's cause they're doing real valuable policing. They are stoppping the real gangsters from protesting peacefully in a public space, they are earning their money by pulling chalk out of peoples hands when they are trying to write on a wet footpath.

Good to know that my taxes are being spent on such valuable police work.

Something all bar one of the lads i know that were involved in the first occupy had no familiarity with. having never been gainfully employed.

Edot: Galway mods really protective of the protesters (thats not an insulting term before I get done for it, if you think it is edit the post pls.)

Wompa1

Well since this thread is meant to be whether or not it was a misuse or that somehow the Garda in Galway are misused or something. I don't agree with that. I assume the goal of having them there was to prevent the setup of another camp in a public place, which from what I personally perceived at the end of the last occupation, I think the majority of people in the city wanted the camp to be dismantled. The Galway exist to server and protect, in this case they needed to serve the best interests and wishes of the majority.

I have had issue with the way they have been used previously. I use to feel that they would look the other way quite a bit during race week which I'm sure was a directive from above. I also dislike that they need to setup that surveillance van for RAG week, it's getting a bit mad.

biko

Ok protesters and protest-protesters alike, I'm going to abuse my power and shut this down. Since OP got admin banned he can't come back to speak for himself.
I also want to commend the attending Gardai on their calm and controlled way of dealing with the situation.