Michael Donnelly
The Workers’ Party have condemned the arrest this morning of Socialist Party TD Paul Murphy and three other people for their alleged role in a protest against Tánaiste Joan Burton at Jobstown in West Dublin last November.
Workers’ Party President Michael Donnelly said that the arrest of the four was not only an outrageous over-reaction to an event in which the only real violence came from the gardai who assaulted Deputy Murphy and pepper-sprayed at least one young person directly in the eyes, but represents a sinister use of the Gardai in an overtly political manner.
Mr. Donnelly said that the arrest was a blatant political act designed to intimidate anti water charge protesters and was in stark contrast to the failure of the authorities to act against contractors for Irish Water who had on numerous occasions engaged in an abusive and threatening manner towards peaceful protesters.