An independent investigation has begun into an incident involving a garda and protesters who disrupted a distressed property auction in Gorey on Thursday evening.
After viewing footage that has been circulated widely on social media, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) confirmed yesterday it believed the public interest would best served by an independent investigation.
A Garda spokesman declined to comment directly on the footage which appears to show a member of the force hitting a man a number of times with a baton after an auction of 32 houses and 16 acres of land in Courtown, which took place in the Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey, Co Wexford.
The auction of a portfolio, including some Nama properties, was abandoned following a protest by the Wexford Housing Action Group.
The garda at the centre of the incident appears to have first tried to establish the name and address of a man in the hotel foyer in connection with an alleged assault on one of the auctioneers. An attempt was made to arrest this man after he apparently refused to give his name.
A melee then ensued during which protesters could be heard on video chanting, “peaceful protest”.
The footage then appears to show the garda being pushed or struck before he draws his baton and strikes a man a number of times, knocking him to the ground.
A Garda statement confirmed one of the protesters, a man in his 30s, had been arrested in connection with an alleged assault at the hotel at around 4pm. This man was detained at Enniscorthy Garda station and released on Thursday night. A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Garda policy When asked about policing at the event and the footage, the Garda Press Office said it was "not the force's policy" to comment on video posts from third parties on social media sites.
“If any individual wished to make a complaint they can do so through the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.”
People Before Profit, who supported the “direct action to halt this sale”, accused gardaí of provoking “a mini-riot in the lobby of the hotel”.
Local councillor Deirdre Wadding, who was present at the protest, told The Irish Times the incident “could have been avoided with a minimum of diplomacy”.
She said the party would “continue to their campaign to halt the sell-off of these houses to property speculators. We shall be calling for further direct action if another attempt is made to hold the auction.”
