Hundreds of uniformed gardaí and their colleagues from the Public Order Unit locked down Dáil Éireann and Government Buildings in Dublin city on Wednesday afternoon as tens of thousands of people gathered to protest against the introduction of water charges.
Kildare Street deserted
The uniformed and public order gardaí took up positions all along a deserted Kildare Street, usually a busy location for traffic where the main entrance to the Dáil is located.
Both ends of Kildare Street, at the junctions of Nassau Street and St Stephen’s Green north, were closed to traffic and new barriers were erected to prevent even pedestrians walking down towards the Dáil entrance.
Only those in a position to produce identification proving they had business on the street were being permitted to pass through the cordon.
Parts of side streets leading to Kildare Street, including Molesworth Street and Setanta Place, were accessible to traffic and on foot.
However, barriers were erected blocking any movement from those streets onto Kildare Street.
Cordon of barriers
Almost all of Molesworth Street was inside a cordon of barriers and gardaí around Government Buildings and the Dáil, securing them from efforts by militant protesters to charge them.
Uniformed gardaí stood in front line positions at barriers, with Public Order Unit members dressed in overalls and protective padding behind them.
The latter had not donned helmets and shields and were not armed with extendable batons.
A large crowd gathered at the junction of Nassau Street and Kildare Street and were chanting “Whose streets? Our streets”, in apparent defiance of the Garda’s taking control of the area and shutting protesters out of Kildare Street.
The mood at that junction was menacing - at odds with the much more family-friendly and relaxed atmosphere up the street on Merrion Square.
Chanting at the main protest site there was exclusively about water charges. Speakers and performers entertained the crowds from a large stage erected at the junction of Merrion Square south and west, close to the entrance of Government Buildings.
Large crowd
Gardaí were much less visible there, with pockets of uniformed gardaí stationed on the edges of the very large crowd.
The most significant Garda presence in the area was at the railings around the vehicle and pedestrian entrances to Government Buildings.
Like at Kildare Street, the entrances were completely blocked off to protesters by lines of unformed gardaí backed by Public Order Unit members.
Gardaí were also visible in the Government Buildings campus.
Garda helicopter
The Garda Mounted Unit and Garda Dog Unit were also on standby in the city centre, while the Garda helicopter monitored events.
A number of Garda minibuses containing reinforcements in public order uniforms were close to the Shelbourne Hotel on Stephen's Green.
A large vehicle with cell-like units was also parked there.
