Around 500 protesters confronted former British Prime Minister Tony Blair when he arrived at Easons on O'Connell St, in Dublin to sign copies of his memoirs. Protesters screamed 'war criminal' and 'arrest the butcher Blair' while throwing shoes, eggs, bottles and placards in the direction of Blair as he made a quick dash into the shop. Protesters scuffled with gardai manning the barriers around Easons.
The section of O'Connell Street from the quays up to Henry Street as well as Abbey Street were closed for the morning to facilitate the huge security operation for Blair's appearance. The Luas was stopped at Smithfield, while traffic was diverted, causing huge disruption to the city centre on a busy Saturday morning. The huge garda operation was estimated to have cost E100,000, all paid for with taxpayers money. This does not include the cost incurred by the Luas, as well as the many shops and street traders affected by the event. As well as Gardai, members of the British secret service MI5 and snipers were on site to protect Blair.
All this to protect a war criminal from anti-war demonstrators. Tony Blair told lies to justify the British and American invasion of Iraq which has resulted in the deaths of over a million Iraqi people. This is on top of the countless deaths in wars in Afghanistan, Palestine, Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone and Somalia, all of which Blair had a part in.
Protesters started gathering across the road from Easons from 9am with placards and banners from the Irish Anti-War Movement, Galway Alliance Against War, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Socialist Workers Party, the Socialist Party, the Workers Party and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement. Despite heavy rain all morning, the demo was lively throughout, with chants led by Richard Boyd Barrett and Brid Smith, both People Before Profit councillors. The crowd also heard from speakers from Palestine and Iraq.
When Blair arrived at 10.30am, projectiles were thrown and there were scuffles with gardai. Once Blair was inside, the chants continued, with protesters determined to defy the weather and stay to see Blair off. In the scuffles a couple of protesters were arrested for getting past the first line of barriers. These scenes were repeated when Blair left Easons at around 12.30pm. When the gardai removed the barriers there was a surge on the entrance of Easons, but protesters held back from attacking the store, determined to keep the protest peaceful. Gardai still arrested two more protesters.
Meanwhile two peace activists had gone into the book signing. Niall Farrell, from Galway Alliance Against War, there with the intention of throwing his shoes at Blair, got past the first line of security before being recognised by gardai and turfed out as a 'known security risk'! After much protest he was given a refund for the book he had had to buy to get into the signing. Meanwhile, Kate O'Sullivan, a Palestine Solidarity activist from Cork, got to Blair and attempted to perform a citizens arrest but was tackled by 5 security guards and ejected from the store.
The four protesters who were arrested face a court trial on public order offences. The focus now is on helping them get off. Protesters should not be charged for opposing war criminals. But as with the cases of the protesters against Raytheon in Derry, ordinary peace activists are being targeted while war criminals walk around freely. All possible support should go to the protesters in their trial.
Video by Paula Geraghty