NationMaster - Encyclopedia: 2006 Dublin riots

The 2006 Dublin riots were a series of riots which occurred in Dublin on 25 February 2006, precipitated by a controversial Unionist demonstration which was due to march down O'Connell Street in the city. The disturbances began when members of An Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland, attempted to disperse a group of counter-demonstrators who were blocking the route of the proposed march on O'Connell Street. Some local youths joined forces with the counter-demonstrators, and the situation escalated. French mobile gendarmes doing riot control. ... Daniel OConnell, 19th century nationalist leader, whose statue by John Henry Foley, stands on the street named after him. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Daniel OConnell, 19th century nationalist leader, whose statue by John Henry Foley, stands on the street named after him. ... A member of the motorcycle unit of the Garda SÃochÃ¡na. ... Daniel OConnell, 19th century nationalist leader, whose statue by John Henry Foley, stands on the street named after him. ...

Background

Love Ulster is a Unionist organisation dedicated to commemorating the Unionist victims of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. This was organised in part by Willie Frazer of Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR). Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Love Ulster is an umbrella Northern Ireland loyalist victims group. ... In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 kmÂ², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Willie Frazer is the founder and leader of loyalist pressure group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

This is a group established to voice outrage at the killings by the Republican paramilitary organisations, but it has been criticised for not doing the same for victims of loyalist paramilitary organisations. Frazer had said of loyalist paramilitary prisoners that "They should never have been locked up in the first place", and that he had "a lot of time for Billy Wright."^[1] For other uses, see Loyalist (disambiguation). ... Billy Wright (July 7, 1960 â€“ December 27, 1997) was a Northern Irish terrorist, a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and leader of the extremist Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). ...

An example of this alleged attitude is the previous displaying of the picture of an Ulster Volunteer Force member who was allegedly involved, among others, in the murder of 26 people in Dublin in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings, and who was himself murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1976. His picture had appeared at FAIR rallies and an organiser of the Love Ulster demonstration previously told a republican newspaper that he would not guarantee that images of the murder suspect would not be displayed during the demonstration.^[2] The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. ... The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings on May 17, 1974 were a series of terrorist attacks on Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland which left 33 people dead, and almost 300 injured, the largest number of casualties in any single day in The Troubles. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) is a paramilitary group which aimed, through the use of violence, to achieve three goals: (i) British withdrawal from Ireland, (ii) the political unification of Ireland through the merger of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , and (iii) the creation of an all...

The Love Ulster march in Dublin was to consist of a uniformed band, several hundred activists (including some from the Orange Order) and relatives of victims, all of whom would march from Parnell Street north of the River Liffey, down O'Connell Street, past Trinity College onto Nassau Street, Dawson Street and Molesworth Street, and eventually reaching Leinster House, the seat of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament), on Kildare Street. Orange parade in Glasgow (1 June 2003) The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and in Canada and the United States. ... The Liffey in West Wicklow The Liffey (An Life in Irish) is a river in the Republic of Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. ... For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College. ... Leinster House The former palace of the Duke of Leinster. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ...

The march of this group in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, was viewed as provocative by many Irish nationalists and Irish republicans, particularly as it was viewed by many^{[dubious – discuss]} as an Orange Order march^{[dubious – discuss]} (The Orange Order has been accused of being a sectarian organisation and is known for its anti-Catholicism)^[3] The right to march was supported by the main Irish political parties and the march was authorised by the Garda Síochána. Love Ulster had organised a similar rally in Belfast in October 2005. An Irish nationalist is generally one who seeks (greater) independence of Ireland from Great Britain, including since 1921 the goal of a United Ireland. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ...

The riot

Sinn Féin, the largest Irish republican political party, did not organise a protest, and said that the march should be allowed to go ahead, calling for republicans to ignore the march. Republican Sinn Féin, a more radical group which broke away from Sinn Féin in 1986, had an organised presence. For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ... Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic, whether as a unitary state, a federal state or as a confederal arrangement. ... Republican Sinn FÃ©in (RSF) is a political party[2] operating in Ireland. ...

Their protest blocked the north eastern junction of O'Connell Street and Parnell Street. The small Republican Sinn Féin group (and some activists from the IRSP) were joined by several hundred local youths, many covering their faces with scarves. Before the violence broke out, they chanted slogans such as "The I, The I, The IRA" and others that related to the Continuity IRA. Several thousand bystanders were also on the scene, but took no part in the subsequent rioting. When the marchers had formed up at the top of Parnell Square and their bands began to play in anticipation of the start of the march, gardaí attempted to disperse the protest at around 12.45. At this point, scuffles broke out between protesters and Gardaí. Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) describes itself as a republican socialist party and claims to be both Marxist-Leninist and republican. ... The Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) is an Irish republican paramilitary group that split from the Provisional IRA in 1986 in a dispute over the attendance of the elected representatives of Sinn Féin (the political party affiliated to the Provisional IRA) at Dáil Éireann (the lower house of...

After the failure of the initial garda effort to disperse the protesters, the violence escalated. The garda riot unit was deployed and stones and metal railings – to be used for renovation work on O'Connell Street – were thrown at gardaí by protesters; as were fireworks, bricks, crude petrol bombs, and other missiles. As the rioting continued, the ranks of the rioters were swelled by many local teenagers who had not taken part in the initial protest. Several barricades were constructed from building materials on the street to impede the march and the gardaí. The march was due to start at 12.30, but as the violence went on the gardaí decided against trying to escort the marchers through O'Connell Street, and at about 13.30 the assembled marchers returned to the coaches that had brought them to Dublin from Northern Ireland. The three coaches were then driven to Leinster House, where a small parade was carried out, and a letter was handed to Irish Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell. They were then escorted out of the city.^[4] One of the coaches was attacked by stone throwers on the way home near the town of Dundalk, County Louth, an area associated with nationalist/republican politics. Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 kmÂ², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Leinster House The former palace of the Duke of Leinster. ... For other persons named Michael McDowell, see Michael McDowell (disambiguation). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Dundalk Code: LH Area: 820 kmÂ² Population (2006) 110,894 Website: www. ...

Violence continued sporadically on O'Connell Street for another hour or so. The Gardaí, advancing from the northern end of the street gradually pushed the rioters back southwards. The most sustained violence took place around the General Post Office building, where the rioters initially sat down in protest and then, several of them having been batoned, regrouped behind burning barricades and threw rocks, paving slabs and one or possibly two petrol bombs at Gardaí. Several Gardaí, protesters and a number of journalists from RTÉ and TV3 were injured. RTÉ's chief news correspondent, Charlie Bird was singled out for attack by some rioters and was kicked and punched while being called an "Orange bastard" before being rescued by the Garda Special Branch officers. Why Bird, a veteran reporter with no known political allegiance, was targeted in this way is not clear. Some of the violence appeared to be entirely random in its targets. For instance several bystanders were attacked and a woman who was five months pregnant was punched in the stomach. The woman later sent a text message to NewsTalk 106 to thank the Gardaí and ambulance service who looked after her after the incident. In addition, the windows of several businesses, including Foot Locker, Schuh, and Ulster Bank near O'Connell Bridge, were smashed and at least one shop (Footlocker shoe shop) was looted. Among those arrested for looting this shop were a number of foreign nationals as well as locals — indicating that in the latter stages of the riot, much of the disturbances were opportunistic — inspired by vandalism or desire for theft rather than politically motivated. Image File history File links Dublin_Riots. ... Image File history File links Dublin_Riots. ... The term General Post Office is or has been used by a number of postal and telecommunications governmental administrations worldwide, including: United Kingdom until 1969, see Post Office UK. After 1981 see Royal Mail for a continuing history of the British Post Office. ... Molotov cocktail is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. ... Radio TelefÃs Ã‰ireann (RTÃ‰; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ... TV3 Ireland is the sole commercial terrestrial television channel in the Republic of Ireland. ... Charles Charlie Bird (born September 9, 1949) is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. ... NewsTalk 106 is an Independent Local Radio station in Dublin, Ireland. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with F.W. Woolworth Company. ... Ulster Bank (Irish: Banc Uladh[1]) is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both the Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ... Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure, a symbol or anything else that goes against the will of the owner/governing body. ...

While the stand off on O'Connell Street was still going on, several hundred rioters followed the Unionist coaches to the Nassau Street area where they set alight a number of cars and damaged several businesses. Again the attacks on cars and businesses in this area appears to have been entirely at random. On the other hand, the headquarters of the Progressive Democrats party (who are very critical of the Irish Republican movement) on South Frederick Street off Nassau Street was also attacked, which seems to indicate at least some political motivation among the rioters. Further skirmishes broke out around the River Liffey at O'Connell Bridge, Aston Quay, Fleet Street and Temple Bar, as the Gardaí re-took O'Connell street, before the rioters dispersed. The most serious property damage was in the Nassau Street area, where three cars were burnt out, windscreens were smashed, and businesses had their windows broken. Many people also became trapped in shops and restaurants, including branches of McDonald's and Burger King. The Progressive Democrats (Irish An PÃ¡irtÃ Daonlathach, lit. ... The Liffey in West Wicklow The Liffey (An Life in Irish) is a river in the Republic of Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. ... Temple Bar (Barra an Teampaill in Irish) is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... Burger King (NYSE: BKC), often abbreviated to BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. ...

Having eventually dispersed the rioters, the gardaí then closed O'Connell Street to facilitate a clean up of the scene by building workers. Media reports have estimated the cost of the clean up job at €50,000, and Dublin Chamber of Commerce placed loss of earnings for businesses in the city due to the riots at €10,000,000.^[5] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 815 KB) Summary Image taken by User:Toofishes View of OConnell Street after rioters were pushed down the street. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 815 KB) Summary Image taken by User:Toofishes View of OConnell Street after rioters were pushed down the street. ...

Estimates for the number of unionist marchers before the event were predicted to be over 1,000. However only eight coach loads turned up in Dublin, indicating a far smaller number, in the region of 3–400. Estimates for the number of counter-demonstrators vary between 300 and 7,000. The number is made much more difficult to determine by the presence of the several thousand bystanders at the scene who did not take part. Most of the rioters appeared to be local youths, though some who brandished leaflets and other political literature were clearly political activists. In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in...

Injuries

A total of 14 people, including six gardaí and a small number of journalists and photographers, were hospitalised as a result of the rioting. A further 41 people were arrested, according to RTÉ news. As of 27 February, 13 had been charged.^[6] Radio TelefÃs Ã‰ireann (RTÃ‰; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Official condemnation

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern condemned the riots, saying, "It is the essence of Irish democracy and republicanism that people are allowed to express their views freely and in a peaceful manner. People who wantonly attack Gardaí and property have no respect for their fellow citizens." Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, opposition leaders Enda Kenny of Fine Gael and Pat Rabbitte of the Irish Labour Party and Sinn Féin Dublin TD Sean Crowe also condemned the day's events. The Taoiseach (IPA: , phonetic: TEE-shock â€” plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach [1], is the head of government or prime minister of the Republic of Ireland . ... Bartholomew Bertie Ahern (Irish: ;[1] born 12 September 1951) is an Irish politician who, since 26 June 1997, has served as the tenth Taoiseach of Ireland. ... For other persons named Michael McDowell, see Michael McDowell (disambiguation). ... Enda Kenny (Irish: ; born 24 April 1951), an Irish politician, is the 10th leader of the Fine Gael party and Leader of the Opposition in DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann. ... Fine Gael â€“ The United Ireland Party, usually referred to as Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ; approximate English translation: Family/Tribe of the Irish, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with a membership of over 34,000, and is the largest opposition party in... Pat Rabbitte (born May 18, 1949) is a senior Irish politician, who has been the leader of the Labour Party since 2002. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn FÃ©in (19th century). ... SÃ©an Crowe is a member of the Irish parliament from Dublin South West. ...

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams added his voice to the condemnation, saying, "There is no justification for what happened this afternoon in Dublin. Sinn Féin had appealed to people to ignore this loyalist parade and not to be provoked by it. Our view was that it should not be opposed in any way and we made that clear. Regrettably a small, unrepresentative group chose to ignore our appeal." The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, also condemned the rioters. Jeffrey Donaldson of the Democratic Unionist Party, who was in Dublin to address the Love Ulster march, said he was 'appalled' by the violence.^[7] Gerard Adams MP (Irish: [1]; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. ... Official Seal of the President of Ireland The President of Ireland (Irish: ) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ... Mary Patricia McAleese (Irish: [1]; born 27 June 1951) is the eighth, and current, President of Ireland. ... Jeffrey Mark Donaldson (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley. ... This article is about the political party in Northern Ireland. ...

Mary Harney leader of the government coalition member Progressive Democrats party, whose offices were attacked by rioters said, "I don't have much respect for the Orange Order, because it is a sectarian, bigoted organisation, but I do respect people's right to march... I think that they have got a great coup in being prevented from marching. Those that sought to stop them have played right into their hands."^[8] Mary Harney (Irish: ; born 11 March 1953) is an Irish politician and the acting interim leader of the Progressive Democrats[1]. She is a TD for Dublin Mid West and served as TÃ¡naiste from 1997â€“2006, and as Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment from 1997â€“2004, and is the... The Progressive Democrats (Irish An PÃ¡irtÃ Daonlathach, lit. ...

Among the few groups not to condemn the day's events were Republican Sinn Féin, who issued a statement condemning what they said was an "underestimate of the true level of opposition to the march by the Irish government" and the Irish Socialist Workers Party, who stated in a press release that "Socialists do not join in the condemnation of young working class people who riot against the police".^[9] Republican Sinn FÃ©in (RSF) is a political party[2] operating in Ireland. ... The Government (Irish: ) [ralÌªË tÌªË É™sÌªË nÌªË É™ heËÉ¼É™nÌªË ] is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Socialist Workers Party (Ireland) (SWP) is an Irish, Trotskyist political party. ...

O'Connell Street was closed off while the disturbances were occurring and afterwards for the clean-up operation but was re-opened later in the evening, although the majority of local businesses remained closed for the rest of the day.

References

is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Socialist Democracy is a fragment of Peoples Democracy, a left wing nationalist current which emerged in Belfast in the 1960s and which subsequently affiliated to the USFI. Peoples Democracy held 2 seats on Belfast City Council in the 1980s during a period when Sinn Féin were boycotting...

Contents

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