Farmers & Peace Protesters

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday March 04, 2004 16:46 by Paul O'Donnell

Gardai adopt different attitude

Am I the only one to notice the huge difference in the way gardai are approaching the farmers blockade in Leitrim and their heavy-handed tactics at anti-war demos, particularly at Shannon?

While I have every sympathy for the Leitrim farmers, who are fighting to save the Teagasc research laboratory at Ballinamore, I just can't help noticing that they've been allowed blockade the facility for the last four days. They have prevented the removal of animals and equippment.

While a few names have been taken, the gardai have only made the feeblest attempt to end the blockade.

Contrast this garda attitude to the riot shields, horses, dogs, helicopters and stormtrooper tactics employed by the boys in blue at the most recent major demonstration at Shannon Airport on December 6th. (not forgetting their arrest of Owen Rice on trumped up charges).

On other occasions in the past the farmers have unloaded herds of sheep and herded them into the Department of Agriculture headquarters, blocked traffic with their tractors in Dublin and major cities and dumped milk (highly poisonous to fish, etc) into rivers.

It would seem there is one law for farmers and another one entirely for anti-war activists.

What do other people think?