Yo, it's been a month since I started the job as Equality Officer here in NUI Galway. I feel I have got quite a lot done in only a month. A transcript of my end of month report is here:
In this month as my role in the Student Union I have;
· Met with the campus crèche to inspect how it is run and to see if there is anything that can be done by the SU to improve the facilities available to students with children.
I have made recommendations to the Buildings office to repair 2 of the outside play areas which has been done, I also requested to maintain a large grassy area behind the building sop that it is safe and suitable for young children to play in outside. This will increase the amount of time the children in the care of the crèche can play outside.
I have organised a meeting with 2 of the buildings office managers responsible for new developments and have been granted a tour of the new gym and engineering building to inspect for potential access problems. I intend to inspect every new building on campus throughout the year with access in mind so that any possible problems can be dealt with before the building is opened.
I have made recommendations to the Buildings office to repair 2 of the outside play areas which has been done, I also requested to maintain a large grassy area behind the building sop that it is safe and suitable for young children to play in outside. This will increase the amount of time the children in the care of the crèche can play outside.
I have organised a meeting with 2 of the buildings office managers responsible for new developments and have been granted a tour of the new gym and engineering building to inspect for potential access problems. I intend to inspect every new building on campus throughout the year with access in mind so that any possible problems can be dealt with before the building is opened.
· I attended and co-orchestrated a small protest at the opening of the new engineering building by Taoiseach Enda Kenny over the recent hike in registration fees. Was met briefly by Kenny amidst excessive Garda presence and some unnecessary harassment.
· I have been very busy organising Equality week for the first week of October which will feature live music from top acts in the College bar along with many other activities.
· Began plans for a Free Language Academy as part of the SU. This will consist of a variety of conversational and basic language courses administered by volunteers wishing to hone their teaching skills. This will be freely available to everyone and I hope to incorporate many European languages as well as Irish and International Sign language.
It is the aim of this project to become self sustainable and provide experience and references for anyone currently studying a language who wishes to take part in tutorials as tutor. This has potential to be an excellent c.v. building project for students.
It is the aim of this project to become self sustainable and provide experience and references for anyone currently studying a language who wishes to take part in tutorials as tutor. This has potential to be an excellent c.v. building project for students.
· I am currently negotiating an agreement with West Ireland cycles so that all students may receive a substantial discount on presentation of a student card.
There are other companies I will soon be approaching for similar discounts.
There are other companies I will soon be approaching for similar discounts.
· Various casework involving students
· Begun formulating my plan for world domination.
i tI think this is quite a lot to have achieved on only a month and I am looking forward to the start of semester one in September.
In other news FEE held a small protest on campus the other week when Enda Kenny came to the university to open the new engineering building. This was met by myself and Irish Officer Senan MacAoide who formulated a very small protest at the recent rise in registration fees and cuts to the grant for mature students.
We also mentioned the recent removal of Special Needs Assistants in secondary school and language assistants. The point was that while the Taoiseach was opening a multimillion building, the students meant to use it are being attacked when it comes to their ability to pay for their education.
While I say the protest was small, there was heavy Garda presence who I must say were very poorly behaved.
As soon as the gards spotted myself and Senan they immediately rushed us as far from the building as the possibly could, asking us who we were and to present our identies.
Not happy with this as we were clearly just attending the event I refused to cooperate, as is my right. It is not well known to people in Ireland that no Garda officer has any right to demand indentification unless they can suggest that you either have recently or are about to commit a crime. I asked what their probably cause was for their suspicion and was told that they didn't need one. As a seasoned activist, I knew this to be completley untrue.
Being someone who knows well his rights when it comes to matters like this I challenged this and asked under what legislation are they making such demands.
This question was not answered and I was simply told to give my ID, address, DOB and what course I was studying or I will be arrested. I was very unhappy with this as there was absolutely nothing to suggest that I was involved in ANY criminal behaviour and to issue such a threat to a peaceful, innocent civilian is tantamount to harassment.
I eventually gave in to the very real threat of (illegal) arrest and showed my student card, my address and let them, know that I am an elected representative of the students of the campus and had more right to be there than any of the other attendees present.
We were then told that our details were demanded under section 24 of the public order act. I questioned this strongly but was ignored.
There resulted in a remarkable change in their behaviour and we were once again allowed to wait outside the door of the new building to await the Taoiseach. We spent the next 10 minutes talking with various members of the press, explaining why we were protest and what the issues facing students are at the moment. After numerous interviews with local and international press and politicians including many local T.D.s Enda finally arrived with his escort.
At this point the two of us were rushed at by a team of Garda who forced us into a corner away from the door and away from Enda. This was amid a crowd of journalists, politicians and various other suits.
I persistently asked why I was being detained? And was told I wasn't. After trying to walk past the Gards I was forcefully shoved back into the corner repeatedly. I protested this greatly as I was unhappy being censored and assaulted for simply standing outside a university building in an orderly manner holding a poster.
I tried to bypass the Gards repeatedly and was repeatedly shoved back into the corner. I constantly asked why I was being detained and what reason do they have to assault me and I was not answered.
Enda himself had spotted what was going on and I noticed him keeping an eye on the ruckus. As the struggle with the gards began to escalate in volume he turned from who he was talking to got and came right over to us. It was clear that he had spotted a situation and was coming to rectify it, for which I am very grateful as these Gards were beginning to become a little too forceful.
Pushing his way through the barricade of gards stood shoulder to shoulder cornering us he addressed us, asked who we were and talked to us for a short time, shook our hands and listened to the grievances we had regarding student FEEs and other educational issues. The man was very curtious and genial.
When he turned around to walk off, the Garda who appeared in charge of the situation actually congratulated us on a dignified protest. I replied saying that "It's a shame I can't say the same for your boys".
I further questioned him and asked what was the probable cause for my mistreatment and was reffered to two articles of the public order act, articles 24 in reference for them demanding my details and section 9 for my seemingly illegal temporary detention and repeated assault.
In other news FEE held a small protest on campus the other week when Enda Kenny came to the university to open the new engineering building. This was met by myself and Irish Officer Senan MacAoide who formulated a very small protest at the recent rise in registration fees and cuts to the grant for mature students.
We also mentioned the recent removal of Special Needs Assistants in secondary school and language assistants. The point was that while the Taoiseach was opening a multimillion building, the students meant to use it are being attacked when it comes to their ability to pay for their education.
While I say the protest was small, there was heavy Garda presence who I must say were very poorly behaved.
As soon as the gards spotted myself and Senan they immediately rushed us as far from the building as the possibly could, asking us who we were and to present our identies.
Not happy with this as we were clearly just attending the event I refused to cooperate, as is my right. It is not well known to people in Ireland that no Garda officer has any right to demand indentification unless they can suggest that you either have recently or are about to commit a crime. I asked what their probably cause was for their suspicion and was told that they didn't need one. As a seasoned activist, I knew this to be completley untrue.
Being someone who knows well his rights when it comes to matters like this I challenged this and asked under what legislation are they making such demands.
This question was not answered and I was simply told to give my ID, address, DOB and what course I was studying or I will be arrested. I was very unhappy with this as there was absolutely nothing to suggest that I was involved in ANY criminal behaviour and to issue such a threat to a peaceful, innocent civilian is tantamount to harassment.
I eventually gave in to the very real threat of (illegal) arrest and showed my student card, my address and let them, know that I am an elected representative of the students of the campus and had more right to be there than any of the other attendees present.
We were then told that our details were demanded under section 24 of the public order act. I questioned this strongly but was ignored.
There resulted in a remarkable change in their behaviour and we were once again allowed to wait outside the door of the new building to await the Taoiseach. We spent the next 10 minutes talking with various members of the press, explaining why we were protest and what the issues facing students are at the moment. After numerous interviews with local and international press and politicians including many local T.D.s Enda finally arrived with his escort.
At this point the two of us were rushed at by a team of Garda who forced us into a corner away from the door and away from Enda. This was amid a crowd of journalists, politicians and various other suits.
I persistently asked why I was being detained? And was told I wasn't. After trying to walk past the Gards I was forcefully shoved back into the corner repeatedly. I protested this greatly as I was unhappy being censored and assaulted for simply standing outside a university building in an orderly manner holding a poster.
I tried to bypass the Gards repeatedly and was repeatedly shoved back into the corner. I constantly asked why I was being detained and what reason do they have to assault me and I was not answered.
Enda himself had spotted what was going on and I noticed him keeping an eye on the ruckus. As the struggle with the gards began to escalate in volume he turned from who he was talking to got and came right over to us. It was clear that he had spotted a situation and was coming to rectify it, for which I am very grateful as these Gards were beginning to become a little too forceful.
Pushing his way through the barricade of gards stood shoulder to shoulder cornering us he addressed us, asked who we were and talked to us for a short time, shook our hands and listened to the grievances we had regarding student FEEs and other educational issues. The man was very curtious and genial.
When he turned around to walk off, the Garda who appeared in charge of the situation actually congratulated us on a dignified protest. I replied saying that "It's a shame I can't say the same for your boys".
I further questioned him and asked what was the probable cause for my mistreatment and was reffered to two articles of the public order act, articles 24 in reference for them demanding my details and section 9 for my seemingly illegal temporary detention and repeated assault.
I I immediately went to my office and looked up these sections, printed them off and returned them knowing full well that no Gard has any right to interfere with any aspect of my life without being able to state a probable cause, which was never stated, in fact I was told repeatedly that there was no requirement for such a cause for suspicion. Seeing as this is neither nazi germany or soviet Russia, I refused to listen to this.
Public order act
9.—Any person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, wilfully prevents or interrupts the free passage of any person or vehicle in any public place shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.
9.—Any person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, wilfully prevents or interrupts the free passage of any person or vehicle in any public place shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.
It is quite clear from the wording of these articles that I was completely correct in my assertations. I printed this off and returned to the Gards and read out in front of them the legislation they used to threaten me with arrest, temporarily detain and assault me. I also pointed out that the arguments I put forward during this was completly backed up by the very legislation that they were using against me.
I have since written to the Superintendent if Galway Garda station and the Garda Ombudsman with a formal complaint.
This may seem excessive but I take the actions practiced by the gards in this peaceful, non-obstructive protest situation very seriously.
It is simply not acceptable for any representative of the state the demand indentification papers using the threat of arrest unless there is a demonstrable reason to suspect that a crime is underfoot or has recently been committed. We are supposed to live in a free state, these police acted similar to Russian KGB agents from spy movies, "give me your ID card or you WILL be arrested."
Hardly gives you confidence in our supposed keepers of the peace does it?
I will update on this story as it unfolds.
Anyway, that was a hell of a long first post! Will have to keep them brief and regular in future! :)
Much love.
Will
(Also must learn to format in this siully HTML textbox.)
(Also must learn to format in this siully HTML textbox.)
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