A woman who claims she was severely assaulted by gardaí during the "Reclaim the Streets" march in Dublin city centre four years ago and ordered to strip in a Garda station has brought a High Court claim for damages.
Annette Ryan (39), Kevin Street, Dublin, has sued the Garda Commissioner and the State over the alleged assault on May 6th, 2002.
Ms Ryan, president of the NCAD (National College of Art and Design) students' union at the time, claims a garda grabbed her by the throat, knocked her to the ground and then knelt on top of her. She was put face-down on the ground and handcuffed before being brought to Pearse Street Garda station, she said.
Opening the case yesterday before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and a jury of six men and six women, John Shortt SC, for Ms Ryan, said the Reclaim the Streets event was a street party and an attempt to restore a sense of community. "Regretfully, the gardaí on the day seemed to have no idea what the event was about," he said.
"The way they behaved suggests that they considered themselves to be above the law."
The jury was told that on May 6th, 2002, up to 300 people had met at Burgh Quay in Dublin city centre. There were jugglers, street theatre and people in costumes.
Ms Ryan said the idea was to take the space in the city back so people can enjoy themselves. "People don't stop to have a chat anymore on the street," she said. Ms Ryan, then in her third year at the NCAD, said she went to enjoy the music. "It was a political event even though it was a party. Also, I was going to write my thesis in relation to it," she said.
She saw an old car being pushed up Burgh Quay in a "theatrical gesture" and some youths threw a smoke bomb into it. She said this caused gardaí to become "antsy".
At around 6pm, the group moved down the quays and took a left turn into Parliament Street and towards Dame Street, she said. When she caught up with her friends there, she could see gardaí pushing people off the street. Everybody was shouting "peaceful protest". She said she saw about eight to 10 gardaí "swinging batons".
Ms Ryan said she met her friends and was standing on the pavement. The next thing she knew was that a can of beer in her hand was grabbed by a woman garda. "I was grabbed by the neck, pushed to the ground, knelt on. My hands were handcuffed behind my back," she said. "I didn't resist." She says she was "flung" into the back of a Garda van and brought to Pearse Street Garda station.
During yesterday's hearing, the court was shown video footage including events at Dame Street. Ms Ryan pointed to certain gardaí in the video and said they were involved.
At Pearse Street Garda station, Ms Ryan said she was bought into a room by two female gardaí. She said one was wearing latex gloves and asked her to take off her clothes.
Ms Ryan said she had to go to the District Court five times before charges against her were dropped. She said she was never told why and she never got an apology.
Cross-examined by Conor Maguire SC, for the State, Ms Ryan said the gardaí were "looking for a fight".
The case continues today.