TWO CORK CITY councillors were among five people arrested this afternoon for not leaving a Bank of Ireland when instructed to by gardaí.

Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan told TheJournal.ie that he and Mick Barry from the Socialist Party were among the five who were arrested. They had entered the bank to protest against the household and water charges.

Tynan had just been released from the Bridewell garda station and said that the five were arrested after gardaí asked them to leave the bank.

The five were part of a larger group who had gone into the bank to protest, but were the only ones left when gardaí entered. “We were arrested under the Public Order Act for disturbing the peace,” said Tynan, “and were taken to the Bridewell.” Initially there were around 18 protesters, but they were joined by around 50 more people who gathered outside the bank.

Arrests

At the time of speaking to TheJournal.ie, four protesters had been released but Barry remained in custody. It was anticipated he would be released soon. They were not formally charged but were cautioned and warned they may be charged, said Tynan, with disturbing the peace.

The protesters entered the bank while holding placards and banners, and shouting slogans. “We made a bit of noise,” said Tynan. “The bank manager called the gardaí and the gardaí requested us to leave the bank. Most of the protesters did leave.”

He said they did not expect to be arrested and that “nobody relishes the idea of being fined a hefty sum or doing time in [prison]“.

The protesters are “so angry with the way our country is being destroyed”, said Tynan. “We feel obliged to push the boat out”. He said they believe the property tax is totally unfair, and is “a tax on the family home”.

There is a lot of people out there angry and we feel that somebody somewhere has to take a stand on these issues.

Tynan said they feel that at this stage they “have no choice but to stand up and be counted”. They chose to enter the Bank of Ireland, he said, because “the banking system in this country was allowed to ruin this country” which had “devastating consequences” for people.

Read: Cork City Councillor defends protest that disrupted meeting>