Gardaí have faced criticism from the public over their handling of a group of women during a Gaza solidarity protest in Dublin earlier this year, reports Breaking News.
Fourteen individuals attending a demonstration by the Mothers Against Genocide group, which protested the Israeli military actions in Gaza, were arrested after blocking access to Leinster House in Dublin.
The group claims that several women arrested during the protest were subjected to strip searches, and one woman underwent a cavity search, reports Breaking News.
Documents obtained by BreakingNews.ie reveal that 132 submissions were sent to the Department of Justice regarding how protestors were treated that day, including concerns about the reported searches.
Some correspondents questioned how gardaí responded to the protest compared to their actions at other demonstrations. One person wrote: “I have not seen this level of aggressiveness directed towards people who were literally running riot on our streets or those burning down buildings dedicated to housing immigrants, or camping out and stoking racism in sites such as Coolock,” reports Breaking News.
Another member of the public contacted the Minister for Justice, raising concerns about the use of force: “Given the nature of the protest, there are legitimate questions to be asked about why this level of force was deemed necessary.
“In particular, there is concern about the apparent disparity in Garda responses to this protest when compared with other demonstrations, for example by far-right groups, which at times have involved threatening or intimidating behaviour with a visibly lighter,” reports Breaking News.
People also raised questions about the sheer number of gardaí present, noting that the officers appeared to greatly outnumber the demonstrators.
“The high level of Garda presence is very difficult to comprehend. These women were mothers, and were present at the Dáil as part of a Mother’s Day Vigil to honour the murdered mothers and children of Palestine. They hoped to deliver a letter to incoming TDs this morning regarding Ireland’s part in all of this,” reports Breaking News.
Another person contrasted the swift garda response to the protest with their own experience in a separate emergency.
“I recently called the Gardaí in a serious situation, and it took 20 minutes for officers to arrive. How was such a large force available so quickly for a non-violent gathering?” reports Breaking News.
Concerns over the reported strip searches were also included in an email to the Taoiseach’s Office, which was later sent to the Department of Justice.
“This practice raises significant human rights concerns and has the potential to cause undue distress and humiliation, particularly when conducted without sufficient justification or oversight. Numerous reports have highlighted instances where strip searches were carried out in circumstances that may not have warranted such invasive procedures. The lack of clear safeguards, transparency, and independent oversight leaves room for potential abuse and a violation of individuals’ dignity and rights. Furthermore, strict guidelines, accountability measures, and independent oversight must be implemented to prevent the misuse of strip searches,” reports Breaking News.
Senators Lynn Ruane, Alice-Mary Higgins, Frances Black, and Eileen Flynn jointly submitted a letter to the Department questioning the treatment of those arrested during the protest.
“From our knowledge, some of those arrested were strip searched and visually cavity-searched. Can you outline for us the reasons for such an escalation on behalf of the Gardaí for what was a peaceful protest? We are very worried about the lack of standardised policing practice that was applied to different individuals who were arrested. It is our understanding arrested protestors received different levels of treatment at different Garda stations, with significantly different levels of invasiveness. We request that you seek a full report from each Garda station as to the steps and decisions they took. Specifically, we also want to ask you what are the internal policies are in the Gardaí when it comes to respecting cultural and religious norms in the event of a strip search, with particular regard to hijabs?” reports Breaking News.
Both gardaí and the Department of Justice were contacted for comment, but neither offered any additional response.
In May, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris addressed the situation, stating: “I can confirm the Garda members involved in conducting the searches acted at all times professionally, lawfully, and in accordance with established procedures and legislative provision,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Harris criticised claims made by People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd-Barrett, Paul Murphy, and Ruth Coppinger, calling their remarks on the arrests and alleged strip-searches “wholly inaccurate”.
“As a direct consequence of these wholly inaccurate statements and the widespread coverage of them in the media, I am deeply concerned about the damage that may be caused to public confidence and trust in policing,” reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
