From the newswire (with minor editing) While protesters were gathering in Dublin amid the clouds of fake media hysteria, 80-100 people were in the woods in Co. Clare participating in 14 different courses in environmental and ecological trades run by CELT (Centre for Environmental Living and Training).

Saturday and Sunday last, May first and second, saw this year's first Weekend In The Woods, in Bealkeally, Scarrif, County Clare. The Weekend in The Woods.

Many of same people I had seen before in various actions and protests. Here though they were to be seen learning about river ecology, native woodlands, herbal lore, wood carving, blacksmithing, coppersmithing; building yurts, wattle and daub walls; making tipis rustic furniture, baskets, long bows, dry stone walls….. Others were there just to float about and soak up the beauty and energy of the birds, plants and animals of the woods and lake.

Image: from photoalbum documenting Ecotopia2002 in Co.Clare

Were you at Mayday events? Add your perspective or upload your images by clicking "Publish" or adding comments to stories on the newswire...

***EuroMayDay compilation of reports by IMC UK *** ***Live video stream from IMC Barcelona *** More *** Mayday Around The World *** Int'l reports on Irish actions

11.32 Very strong police presence on O'Connell St., but crowd is dispersing and only a handful remain at GPO. Riot squad is still visible.

11.15 Garda statements say some of those arrested are to come before special sitting at Cloverhill court tonight

10.52 March is at Dorset St., reports of a confrontational and provocative attitude being taken by police.

10.38 Crowd Now Passing the 'Joy' - 'The Rocky Road to Dublin Whack Fol al de Da'. Large group of riot police following; some emerged from vans as passed the prison.

10.35 From The Newswire: Firsthand Account of Events
EXCERPT: "When the demonstation was close to the police there was a call from the block near the front that the police were stopping the demo and people would try and continue - if anyone didn't want to take part they should move back. Some time later the block linked up and moved to push against the yellow jackets. Little was thrown at this point - some placards and cans."

10.00 RTE News Reporting 25 Arrests. Supposedly bad 'Internationals' rather than good 'Irish'

9.45 Bloc of 800 or so coming back into town en masse. First time Protesters have Gathered into a Coherent Group in an Hour. Going Down NCR. Mountjoy Direction.

9.42 Police getting Bored and Impatient: Feigning Baton Charges but not Carrying Through. Some injured people still behind Police lines

9.28 Messy Situation Developing: Horses being Used: A small group reports (unconfirmed as yet) the Gardai Attempted to Force them backwards into Horses. Slow process of pushing Crowd back the way they came. Various reports confirm that a few missiles (empty cans) from body of crowd was awnsered with a Police Baton charge. (8.40-8.55) There was NO concerted attack on Police at any stage. Riot Police 4 Deep following Slowly Retreating Crowd. Water cannon still in use

9.12 Irish television (RTÉ) showing images of riot squad and use of water cannon, reporting on unknown number of injuries and arrests: Reports from Scene say crowd are now marching back the way they came followed by Riot Squad and Cannons: Some still trapped by Police in Sidestreets. DGN legal support and Sky News both reporting 13 arrests.

9.04 Crowd Moving Back 20m or so:' Brave' People throwing stuff over heads of the frontline protesters: Report from Medic of two bad headwounds from Baton Charge: Cannon trying to walk Crowd Backwards: Snatch Squads Appearing From Sideroads according to a Medic: 'You Must Leave This Area Immediately' sez the Wag with Loudhailer: Crowd not Retreating: Police trying to force People down Side Roads

8.55 Last Warning Given: 2nd Cannon Now Deployed: Protesters sitting on Ground Taking Force of Cannons: 'Spokespeople from DGN and AEIP Pleading with Protesters to Leave. Not Working for Now

Further reports at "feature continued" link below - as it happened!

From the Newswire: "After 2 months of media hysteria and hard work on the part of the organisers, the Mayday weekend kicked off with a Critical Mass which was large, vibrant, good humoured and, of course, completely peaceful. Although it's difficult to estimate the numbers of people on cycle-protests, educated guesses from experienced massers ranged from 400 to 700. What's for sure is that it was the biggest critical mass ever to take place in Dublin. It is also certain that it was carried out entirely in a light-hearted atmosphere. Policing was low-key and there were no tensions.

The route took the crowd down O'Connell St, down Dame St, past Christ Church, down the hill to the river, back down the north quays, up O'Connell St and finally around Parnell Square to Mountjoy prison, where a rally was held to demand the release of Polly Murphy - in prison since last Tuesday for the crime of trespass. Cries of 'Our passion for freedom is stronger than your prisons' and 'homes not jails' ran around the crowd."

Indymedia Ireland Mayday Critical Mass Video
Dublin Hosting Biggest Ever Cycle Campaigners Conference on Mayday
Video Clip from 'IMC Travelling Circus' (500K, mpg)
Clip Two from our 'Circus' Friends (800K, mpg)
Some previous Critical Mass reports: September 2003 * Reclaim The Streets '03 * Dublin Cycling Campaign * Dominick St. protest * Belfast "Bikes Not Bombs"
From the archives: Critical Mass and RTS for MayDay 2002

More Pictures and Video at the 'Feature Continues' Link Below . . .

• ORGANISERS CONDEMN BANNING OF MAYDAY PROTEST
• 'THIN GLOSS OF UNITY': DEBATE
• DUBLIN GRASSROOTS NETWORK – GOVERNMENT ARE INCITING A RIOT’
• THREE JAILED: FIRST ARREST DETAILS
• DGN INVITATION TO DUBLINERS
• BOMBSCARE A ’CYNICAL EXERCISE’
• NO-ONE IS ASKING WHY WE ARE PROTESTING?
• ANOTHER EUROPE IS POSSIBLE – MARCH AND CARNIVAL
• DGN NO BORDERS WEEKEND DETAILS

GOVERNMENTS EAST AND WEST OF EUROPE 'UNITE' IN REPRESSION OF DISSENT:
Where are we? Are we in Europe, the UK or Ireland? Are we in Poland because it seems that what has just gone on there in the runup to the EEF Summit is now being replicated here? The Poles stood up to active and ongoing villification and harrassment and made themselves heard despite blanket repression redolent of the Soviet era in Eastern Europe.

MIASMA OF FEAR: UNQUESTIONING MEDIA
An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell have succeeded – with the help of an overwhelmingly unquestioning media happy to print Garda press statements verbatim and relay Garda corporate videos over the airwaves - in spreading a miasma of fear and violence and militarism over dear old dirty Dublin.

NOISY PROTESTERS ARE THE TERROR THAT THE ‘WAR’ IS ON? IS IT ABOUT THE OVERTIME? THE BLUE FLU? BIN-LADEN? WAR IS PEACE? A FAVOUR FOR GW?
The Gardai and Irish Government seem determined to conflate International Terrorism with the Anti–Authoritarian Wing of the Global Justice Movement. Repeatedly tonight – Primetime – Ireland’s main TV current affairs programme – hinted at the threat of a Terrorist Spectacular without ever plainly saying the words ‘Al Qaeda’. They also Broadcast what can only be described as a Security Services Public Announcement laying out where and how protesters would be stopped if they attempted to move closer than a distance of approximately four miles from Farmleigh House where the EU Summit is taking place. Basically Protesters are being mixed up with and portrayed as a terrorist threat by the Gardai, State and Compliant Media. The word ‘Agitators’ is substituted for ‘Protesters’ in Primetime lingo. How convenient for this agenda that a ‘suspect device’ was found yesterday in the environs of Mountjoy Square where Indymedia and Community Media Network are welcoming protesters from Ireland and abroad (and others) to an Independent Media Festival. An Indymedia Videographer who was at the scene at the time describes the bomb squad ‘operation’ that ensued as ‘a cynical attempt to justify the militarisation of Dublin’. The pictures and video are worth a thousand words. Sudden Northern Irish style Militarisation of Dublin because of what exactly? Sounds like some surreal upside-down rerun of Derry in the runup to the Troubles to me. ‘Young Hooligans’ (repeatedly and bizarrely scapegoated by the mainstream press as a species of ‘British Invaders’) are once again painted as a threat sufficient to require and justify an open ended anti-democratic pseudo – military response. Wtf? Have the Gardai got a good taste of the ‘Overtime’ from Policing at Shannon? Payoff to prevent a repeat of the Blue Flu’? Or a carefully planned favour (and practice run) to go along with the Shamrock for George Bush and his increasingly unpopular Friends in the EU. Big Bold Demonstrations in Dublin or Shannon when the EU comes back to meet Bush again in Clare might prove to be an embarrasment to ‘Boston’ so why not create a full on climate of fear well in advance of his arrival. It might conveniently keep the natives at home later in the summer. How far the state is willing to go in this pre-emptive campaign of villification and hysterical fearmongering is as yet unclear. We'll know by the end of the summer and the (various) elections.

THE DUBLIN GRASSROOTS NETWORK MEETING POINT IS BEHIND POLICE LINES / BUTCH GARDA PANIC BROADCAST / WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? / WILL THE ENGLISH TURN US INTO ZOMBIES (AGAIN)? Continues . . . . .

From The Newswire:
Armed Garda and Army patrol the streets of Dublin, looking for Wombles.
Is Ireland under martial law?
In a blatant attempt to silence the press I was pushed off the street, told to stop filming as my camera was interfering with their equipment. I left when they threatened to take my video camera. The guy with the gun gave me a slap for my troubles.
- Full Video will follow -

Full account at the 'FEATURE CONTINUES' link below . . . . .