There is a good report of the protest on Kildare Street today following events in Mayo over here, on the website of the WSM.
The message of todays event, which was organised by an ad hoc group of organisations and individuals concerned with justice, equality, and women’s and human rights under the heading ‘Say no to the trivialisation of rape’, was that rape is not a joke.
Organiser Susan Ms McKay from the National Women’s Council said: “Jokes about rape are never funny. Rape is recognised in law as being second only to murder in terms of gravity. An Garda Síochána are responsible for upholding the law and for protecting the public. Their behaviour must be exemplary, and they must respect the people they serve. That includes women. We are half the population, and we are the majority of the population at risk when it comes to crimes of sexual violence.”
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Come Here To Me! 
the gardai involved should be sacked simple as, why does it have to be so bloody complicated in this country?? the only response i heard on the news was that the garda ombunsman was dissapointed its f’##*d in my opinion
What childish tripe!
Could one be mistaken for thinking that a private trauma is now a useful tool for promoting campaigns such as the Shell to Sea elitist, self-serving nonsense?
What a godsend the Garda ‘barrack-room’ black humour tape appears to be!
One would think that the widespread broadcast and use of the stupid Garda remarks for scoring points in a campaign such as Shell to Sea is the real insult to women in general! Prurient? mercenary? Or worse, scare-mongering. Subtle terrorism?
The real harm to women in general was occasioned by the publishing of the remarks on the tapes. Otherwise, who would have known about what was said? Many a victim of rape may have been spared their fears and doubts about reporting rape!
Why were the tapes were not used with genuine concern for victims of rape. If that was a consideration at all?
The Gardai could have been brought to account for their remarks without the brouhaha, without all the drama and sound-bites.
Of course, then there would have been no such advantageous publicity for the interest group and their own little pet project!
And, by the way, no criminal offence was committed by the Gardai. Or does that matter?
ICCL please note. Infested by Lawyers! Solicitors and their accomplices have taken too many liberties in this State, a la tribunal-greed, bank and developer scams- and client abuse to even dare to spoof the public! See Rate My Solicitor on the web!! Note Irish solicitors on the run from justice! And the trousering of diocesan funds. Etc., Etc.
ICCL is discredited and an elitist self-serving club. And it is well past time for a root and branch investigation into the legal profession in this State. There is real convicted criminal activity to justify this. Want the names? Read the papers. Go online. Invite the public to give their experiences.
No-one tolerates the crass remarks made by the Gardai.
Freedom of speech? Civil Liberties, my ass! A private conversation, however distasteful, blown far and wide to spread the private trauma? And the campaign message?
Let us have less hysteria and fascist rants.
And have a little self-respect!
This sort of carry-on would make one seriously consider supporting the Shell project. At least there are much-needed jobs to be had from that. All we get from those well-heeled enough to oppose the project is selfish and vitriolic damage to the community. And of course a bit of crack for the would-be rich college-types Che Guevaras and Joans of Arc- at least until they find some other inane distraction to fill their idle time.
And, I almost forgot, their fellow-travellers of the fascist private army types who really enjoyed uncivil liberties with the bomb and the bullet- until their high-level informers caused their defeat by the Brits.
Yo Reg. I always approve comments providing they’re not vulgar. I don’t like the genereal *tone* of the comment, but you’ve some decent points in the earlier half. I’ll leave it for someone else, just a few things I noted:
“This sort of carry-on would make one seriously consider supporting the Shell project.”
My enemies enemy!
“At least there are much-needed jobs to be had from that.”
We’re going to make next to nothing on the gas thanks to Ray Burke. Norwegian kids will benefit for what it’s worth.
“And of course a bit of crack for the would-be rich college-types Che Guevaras”
I’ve always hated this stereotype of people on the left. Me and most friends on the left currently studying spend as much time working as we do studying. I know the silver-spooned socialists do exist, but they’re by no means the majority and it’s unfair to say so. Most people I’ve met involved in this campaign and others are not what I’d term Holiday Home Socialists.
Also, some points were made in an earlier post on the same issue here by other commenters: https://comeheretome.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/protest-called-for-dail-at-lunch-time-tomorrow-re-garda-rape-comments/#comments