the lords of Fortress Europe arrive in Dublin - Dame Street closed to traffic

dublin | eu | news report Thursday January 22, 2004 13:03 by street theatre

Get ready...

The EU justice ministers arrived into Dublin last night (avoiding any possible union actions of course) in their siren screaming motorcades, accompanied by four motorbike Gardai for each one. The Ministers are being transported around the city in special bullet-proof seven-seaters with tinted windows. They are here for two days for an informal ministerial meeting at Dublin Castle.

The Garda helicopter kept an eye on the motorcades, circling overhead around the eastern half of the city centre. The Ministers are staying in the Four Seasons Hotel in Ballsbridge, where a heavy Garda presence remained all night.

Today (as of 11am) Dame Street has been closed off to vehicular traffic. It will be closed today and tomorrow until approximately 5pm. Right now there appears to be some sort of surveillance airplane flying continually around the city centre, and numerous Special Branch members were walking around the green opposite the Olympia giving directions to senior Gardai on duty.


The first public performance of "No Justice, No Peace!", a short play in three acts about Garda and State violence will take place this evening. We will be meeting up at the Central Bank on Dame Street at 5pm.