Sir, - I refer to the reports in The Irish Times of January 7th regarding the clash between gardai and Sinn Fein protesters outside the Four Courts after the appearance of Angelo Fusco in the High Court and make the following points:
1. The attack on the gardai on duty outside the court by so-called new democrats, who are supposed to have abandoned violence in favour of democratic politics, shows the double-speak of Sinn Fein. The attack on the gardai should be condemned by all democrats. An attack on gardai carrying out their duties is an attack on society and poses serious questions about certain elements in Sinn Fein.
2. There is an obligation on all people who live in this democratic State to accept the decisions of our institutions, including the courts, and to comply with their directives, no matter how much we may disagree with their decisions. Failure to do so must be regarded as undemocratic behaviour.
3. There now seems to be two types of murder in this state, political murder and criminal murder with two different punishments to match these crimes. We now have reached a dangerous position where respect for our laws may be undermined and a perception that we have one set of laws for political crime and another set for "ordinary criminals". Have we now abandoned our significant belief that each person is equal under our laws? - Yours, etc.,
Cllr Eamonn Walsh, Limekiln Farm, Dublin 12.