PROTESTERS FROM THE Occupy Dame Street movement temporarily occupied the offices of the Referendum Commission in Dublin city this afternoon.
The group said in statements posted on Twitter and Facebook that the action was being staged in protest over the Commission’s publication of an information leaflet.
The leaflet was distributed to households around Ireland ahead of the Fiscal Compact referendum by the Commission, which describes itself as “an independent body set up by law to give a neutral explanation of the referendum proposal and to encourage people to vote”.
ODS accused the Commission of delivering the leaflet late “so that people wouldn’t have a chance to read, research and understand it”. It also accused the Commission of bias and a “misleading representation of the #Fiscal Treaty”, adding that it couldn’t be trusted.
Gardaí were called to the Referendum Commission offices this afternoon after around ten people from the movement entered and occupied the premises.
The protesters subsequently left the offices and gardaí have maintained a presence at the property throughout this afternoon, according to staff at the office.
A spokesperson for the Referendum Commission told TheJournal.ie that she believes ODS has inaccurate and factually incorrect information about the Commission.
She said that based on the group’s comments online, she thinks the demonstrators may have actually been protesting a different leaflet other than that produced by the Referendum Commission.
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