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Woman defends topless protest at music festival

She said the aim of her actions was to highlight “the many glaring double standards that are imposed upon women”.

A WOMAN HAS said she was escorted out of Knockanstockan music festival at the weekend after staging a topless protest.

In a Facebook post shared almost 1,000 times, Carina Fitzpatrick explained that the aim of her actions was to highlight “the many glaring double standards that are imposed upon women”.

“I am referring, of course, to the Free the Nipple Movement which argues that women and men should be granted the same freedom, and protection, under the law. The movement aims to advance gender equality and to oppose sexual objectification.”

Speaking to Philip Boucher Hayes on RTÉ Radio One’s Liveline today, she noted that Saturday was a “lovely, sunny day” and there were topless men “everywhere”.

She recalled the series of events that happened on the day, noting that many women at the festival came up to her to talk about body confidence and feminist issues.

Fitzpatrick said everyone who spoke to her was supportive of what she did.

She said she also had to deal with a man who grabbed her breast while she was clothed.

I laughed it off as [women] often do … It’s not such an uncommon thing for women to be groped. Every time you are sexually harassed you have to weigh up the options, ‘Is this very dangerous or is this innocuous nonsense?’

She said another man made disparaging comments about her friends’ appearances and told her ‘Go on then, get your tits out’.

Objectification 

She later took her top off again and said gardaí escorted her off the premises after she refused to put it back on.

“The gardaí had no notion of asking why I had my top off, because they had already decided that it was out of pure licentiousness.

“I tried to explain my moral stance and my desire to affect social change, but I was constantly rebutted with pleas to ‘Think of the children’,” she wrote on Facebook.

Fitzpatrick said women should be free to dress as they wish without be objectified or sexualised.

An Garda Síochána released the following statement in relation to the incident: “Complaints were made by members of the public at approximately 7.30pm on the 23/07/16 concerning an offence under Section 18 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1935 … i.e. committing public indecency.

“The offending female was escorted from the event and her name and address were taken. The matter is under investigation.”

Read: Here’s What Happened Today: Wednesday

Read: Listen as Donald Trump challenges Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton’s emails

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    Feb 18th 2025, 10:05 PM

    Eir still doesn’t give Ball Ox about their customers. Thanks, Helen.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 7:44 AM

    @Paul Gorry: she took court action against Eir on behalf of consumers yet it’s her fault their customer service is bad?

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    Mute John Lalor
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    Feb 19th 2025, 9:34 AM

    @JoeJoe Kilbride: I phoned Eir ( Customer Service) on Monday (after 19 days without broadband) – it had been restored last Thursday. At the time I found it easy to report the fault. I had a bit of a wait which was understandable post storm. I got through straight away on Monday and their operator was extremely polite and offered me a €35 discount which was implemented by the time the call was over.

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    Feb 18th 2025, 10:12 PM

    never heard of her, another bureaucrat on the civil service gravy train no doubt, getting paid fortunes to spin around on their office chairs all day while watching YouTube

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    Feb 18th 2025, 10:21 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: So you do have an opinion on someone you don’t know. You must have a crystal ball. Perhaps shove it up your hole, that’ll do you good.

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    Feb 18th 2025, 10:30 PM

    @Fliep Flap: He’d have to pull his head out of his hole first

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    Mute Marie McMahon
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    Feb 18th 2025, 10:56 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: you never heard of her doesn’t mean she was doing a great job. She’s been high profile and was a great data protection commissioner. You wouldn’t have read about her on the betting pages.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 12:30 AM

    @BillyBones: well said.

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    Mute Jack
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    Feb 19th 2025, 12:47 AM

    @Fliep Flap: but aside from that she’s still not much use to the public?

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    Mute hans vos
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    Feb 18th 2025, 9:39 PM

    I hope she is going back to her previous job as data commissioner because she was great in that.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 12:02 AM

    Is she relevant to John Dixon-Cider?

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    Feb 19th 2025, 12:09 AM

    @Joe Willis: No, the Dixon-Bulmers!

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    Feb 19th 2025, 12:12 AM

    @Joe Willis: Check porn hub joe. I’d recon deffo not.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 1:30 AM

    @Paul Gorry: I beg your pardon

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    Feb 19th 2025, 1:35 AM

    @Joe Willis: Please don’t beg joe. Check porn hub for that one.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 1:38 AM

    Alo Alo Alo who is this.

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    Feb 19th 2025, 2:55 AM

    @Phillip Smyth: Pierre le pew. Alo..

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