Gardaí are investigating an attack on the Dublin city centre office of Independent councillor Mannix Flynn that saw windows smashed and abusive graffiti written on the building.
The incident happened at around 4am on Wednesday. Mr Flynn was staying upstairs in the building when he heard the sound of glass shattering below. He went downstairs to discover a beer barrel had been thrown through the window. Outside the building had been covered in graffiti, referencing a city council decision to regulate busking in the city.
The slogan, “We won’t pay to play” was accompanied by extreme and abusive graffiti referring to the sexual abuse suffered by Mr Flynn as a child at Letterfrack industrial school in County Galway.
“This was a violent and an intimidatory attack. Someone targeted me in my building and made horrendous remarks relating to childhood abuse.”
City councillors voted on Monday night to introduce bylaws which will for the first time regulate street performances in the city, requiring buskers to buy annual permits costing €30, or €60 for an amplifier, to perform on the streets. The bylaws also restrict noise levels to 80 decibels, and 75 decibels in Temple Bar.
Amplifier ban sought
Mr Flynn had actually voted against the bylaws, agreeing with a number of submissions made by buskers that the noise level regulation would be impossible to enforce. However Mr Flynn had sought a ban on the use of amplifiers, a measure which has not been included in the new rules.
“I do want to see a ban on amplifiers, I know people who have had to get triple glazing on their windows because of the noise. But whatever my views are, I am a public representative doing my job, and this attack is saying that public representatives are legitimate targets for acts of violence”.
The damage to the building, which is a protected structure, has cost almost €1,000 to repair, Mr Flynn said.
Luke Clerkin, who represents buskers’ organisation, Save Busking in Temple Bar, said he was disgusted by the attack on Mr Flynn.
“This was absolutely disgraceful. I don’t think the people who did this represent buskers. They are the scum of the earth, I can’t put into words how disgusted I am.”
Mr Clerkin, who busks to collect money for the charity Teenline, said he has no problem with the introduction of a permits system, but feels the noise limits are unworkable. “80 decibles is the same sound level as a person talking.”
