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Gardaí to investigate potential breaches of Covid regulations at Black Lives Matter demonstration in Dublin

Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday afternoon.

GARDAÍ HAVE SAID they will be investigating all the circumstances surrounding the Black Lives Matter demonstration which took place in Dublin at the weekend in relation to potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital yesterday afternoon to voice their anger at the death of black man, George Floyd, who died after being pinned down by Minneapolis police officers in the US last week. 

Gardaí said that while organisers had tried to enforce social distancing guidelines, this was not adhered to. Other regulations, including travelling more than 5km from a place of residence, may also have been breached, gardaí said. 

A statement released to TheJournal.ie said that the organisers of the event had pro-actively engaged with gardaí during the demonstration and informed officers that the size of the event had far exceeded their expectations. 

An Garda Síochána said it has no role “permitting or authorising protest marches or gatherings” and that “there is no permit/ authorisation required for such events”. But the statement said that it encourages organisations to get in touch with the police force to make sure any such event can pass off peacefully. 

The force had not been consulted in relation to this demonstration, gardaí said. 

Protesters marched from the Spire on O’Connell Street to the US Embassy in Ballsbridge, chanting: “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace.”  

Gardaí said that organisers had made attempts to mark social distancing guidelines on O’Connell Street for their anticipated number of participants.

“Social distancing is a guideline, not a regulation”, the garda statement added.

As with other protests, officers said they engaged with those present and, in some cases, recorded the names and addresses of attendees. This information is then added to the garda investigation file which is sent to the DPP for consideration of criminal charges. 

The statement added:  

An Garda Síochána is investigating this matter and the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be sought in respect of any further actions to be taken. 

With reporting by Stephen McDermott

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    Mute Kris Bopp
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 7:46 AM

    If a fully grown and matured adult man or woman wishes to go through the process of transitioning, I say let them at it.
    But it is immoral and quite frankly child abuse to give pre-pubescent CHILDREN puberty blockers or to let them decide their own gender.
    I don’t know if anyone remembers that disgraceful TV programme, “I am Jazz”, basically a 2 year old boy asked his mother when would the fairy come to make him into a girl. By the age of 5 this CHILD, was diagnosed with gender disphoria. Trans activists are always silent when this is brought up.
    Apart from that, I think it’s socially responsible to teach 16 yr olds the basics of human sexuality (for their own protection) and for the younger kids, I think the example that peppa pig have where one of the characters has two mummies is also a very appropriate way to teach younger minds about the many different types of families we have in our modern world.
    But transitioning children is wrong and should be called out as such by everyone.

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 8:05 AM

    @Kris Bopp: children don’t “transition”. Puberty blockers in countries where they are allowed are totally reversable. What is worse, what is actual child abuse is forcing a child to live a life as someone they are not. The suicide rate among trans kids is astronomical as a result. As for kids” choosing their own gender “….you do realise gender is a social construct and nothing to do with what’s between your kegs? You’re thinking of sex. Children are not allowed to change sex therefore your point is moot.

    69
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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 9:09 AM

    @Gearóid MacEachaidh: the suicide rate is not astronomical. Please stop this false narrative; it’s unhelpful and comes across as manipulative.

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 9:31 AM

    @Sean Ryan: Suicidal Ideation in Trans kids and teens is VERY high.
    “Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.”

    Austin A, Craig SL, D’Souza S, McInroy LB. Suicidality Among Transgender Youth: Elucidating the Role of Interpersonal Risk Factors. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Mar;37(5-6):NP2696-NP2718. doi: 10.1177/0886260520915554. Epub 2020 Apr 29. Erratum in: J Interpers Violence. 2020 Jul 29;:886260520946128. PMID: 32345113.

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 9:58 AM

    @Sean Ryan: I’m working at the moment but I’ll be happy to provide stats this afternoon. You’re wrong.

    21
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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:24 AM

    @Tricia G: @Tricia G: Above all, every effort should be made to support anyone who needs it. Support for young people is essential; I say that as a former gender non-conforming youth (and a current gay man).

    My criticism is that suicidal ideation is the not the same as suicide rate. Conflating them is irresponsible.

    This research focuses on specific theories, namely minority stress theory and the interpersonal theory of suicide.

    The overall jist is that there are myriad factors that impact suicidal ideation in young people; this may be higher for those with trans identities due to concomitant disorders as well as lack of support and being in a minority.

    Points to be made clear (not problems, but need to be know)
    This is secondary research. As with many studies, there will be some biases that are difficult to overcome. Here, recruitment came from social media, Tumblr and Reddit. All information is self-reported. Again, this is not uncommon and not a flaw, but it needs to be clear that suicidality was not assessed or diagnosed by mental health professionals.
    Participant Characteristics are also worth looking at for anyone interested. A disproportionate number of transmen, which alone is worth research.

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    Mute A$AP ETH
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:27 AM

    @Sean Ryan: facts are nothing when confronted with your edgelord catchphrases. Is there any word more used by the clueless to sound knowledgable than ‘narrative’?

    17
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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:39 AM

    @A$AP ETH: So no one can use the word “narrative”? OK. Then the statement about astronomical suicide rates is inaccurate.

    73
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    Mute Tricia G
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:49 AM

    @Sean Ryan: Ah, so when presented with actual scientific papers identifying that Trans youth have a very high rate of suicidal ideation and ATTEMPTED suicide you try and suggest that because they weren’t successful it’s not a problem.

    Every single statistic has clearly demonstrated that trans youth have a high rate of suicide (if they’re not alive, they can’t report that they’re suicidal).

    “In a study presented to the American Academy of Pediatrics, research showed a 60% decrease in moderate and severe depression who received gender-affirming care.

    Additionally, there was 73% decrease in suicidality among transgender youth and non-binary youth. A fantastic feat for a community with an alarmingly high transgender suicide rate.” – Research Finds Significant Reduction in Depression, Suicidality in Youth Receiving Gender-Affirming Care or Puberty Blockers

    Trans youth commit suicide and report suicidal thoughts at a rate far higher then Cis youth.

    And the kicker – what lowers suicidal ideation is being ACCEPTED by their families and being accepted for who they are.

    It is appalling to me that you’re so desperate to support your intolerance of trans youth that you would ignore the repeatedly reported facts.

    18
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    Mute Karen Lord
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:51 AM

    @Gearóid MacEachaidh: Puberty blockers are not totally reversible. Among other concerns, they are known to cause loss of bone density, leading to a higher risk of fractures and osteoporosis. The majority of children who are prescribed puberty blockers also go on to take cross sex hormones, which in adults can increase the risk of certain cancers, infertility, heart problems and even psychosis. The truth is there is simply not enough known about the long term effects of puberty blockers to allow anyone to state they are reversible and that’s why the Irish Council of General Practitioners and the NHS no longer describe them as such.

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    Mute A$AP ETH
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 11:07 AM

    @Sean Ryan: Suicidal Ideation is all you have to go on. The prevalance of actual suicide in the community are undocumented. You can unfortunately assume that if the attempt rate is that high in this community that the actual rate must be elevated too. You yourself acknoweldged in your previous post that they are a minority community with a lack of support. Which gearoid implied was a factor in the high rate of SI , so you actually agreed with him but padded it out with waffle about how their must be other factors at play, in the face of data confirming this community is significantly more at risk of suicide. Would you attempt to explain away the suicidal ideation of another less marginalised community to downplay the issues that led to that persons suicide/suicide attempt? I doubt it.

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    Mute west awake
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 7:41 AM

    What do you want to do, send in Samantha Power to threaten them a “color revolution”? The people of Hungary elected Mr Orban, whether liberal busybodies like it or not.

    492
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    Mute KilkennyProud
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 8:30 AM

    @west awake: Orban has fascist tendencies whether right wing busybodies like it being ponted out or not.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 3:31 PM

    @west awake: People are who they are, and shouldn’t be discriminated against when it comes to healthcare. At all. You’re entitled as an EU member to travel and receive healthcare if you need any. Especially if you can’t get a necessary procedure or operation at home. There’s no good reason to exclude people just because they were born intersex or gay. Think of all the tourist revenue Hungary could benefit from if they weren’t putting visitors off with their mediaeval laws.

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    Mute Brian Boru
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 10:17 AM

    The Irish population is in big decline. We need to acknowledge this and be a family friendly country.

    163
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    Mute Alan Biddulph
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 12:28 PM

    @Brian Boru: Brian you comment on every article, no job? Mates?

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    Mute Brian Boru
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 1:05 PM

    You know your over the target when you are taking flack. The enemy is upset.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 3:36 PM

    @Brian Boru: No, Ireland is not “in decline” & we have an increasing population who support our constitution and cherish all children of the nation equally. If you’d like to pay more taxes to subsidise Boris Johnson’s growing family, flights to the UK leave hourly, off you go & donate to the families of politicians.

    12
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    Mute west awake
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 11:17 AM

    Let’s ban everything Fiona doesn’t like.

    138
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    Mute Bri Lyons
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 8:37 AM

    How very uninclusive , should be LGBTQQIP2SA+

    132
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    Mute FixoUZLA
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    Mar 23rd 2023, 11:56 AM

    Thank God for Viktor Orban , Thank God for a Leader who isn’t afraid to take a stand against LGBTQ+’s agenda of pushing sexual perversions on communities .

    126
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    Mute B Collins
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    Mar 24th 2023, 3:30 PM

    @FixoUZLA: what agenda Jim? What perversions exactly? What’s wrong with anyone being gay? Looking forward to your answer.

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 7:56 AM

    Kick em out of the EU! There urgently needs to be a new treaty drawn up anyway, making certain minimum requirements before a country can apply to join the EU. Obvious stuff like financial stability and regulations but human rights and equality has to be one part of it.

    57
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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 9:49 AM

    @Gearóid MacEachaidh: good and while you are at it can I suggest that Ireland reforms it’s membership too and stops inflicting excessive high costs on citizens for car sales vrt , insurance premiums and instead allows us enjoy the benefits of the single market membership like it is suppose to / instead of insisting that we retain our own tax regimes that then force us to pay some of the highest prices for items like cars and insurances as an example / an example if car insurance was charged as cover Europe wide it would be much cheaper but there’s a whole range of expenses in Ireland where we don’t enjoy this single European principle in reality at all / instead we pontificate about other member states laws we don’t like / such hypocrisy

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    Mute G.G M
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    Mar 23rd 2023, 7:15 PM

    Yet another article about hungary being the absolute devil and Orban is the worst Ten years ago no one knew about this country,no one ever cared. Suddenly when the leftist agenda suits, everyone talks about it. I’m glad to know that there are countries where kids can be kids and not part of politics. Eat up all what america serves you up in this country, cause they are always so right in everything. Nothing but a follower yous are.

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    Mute B Collins
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    Mar 24th 2023, 3:30 PM

    @G.G M: 10 years ago it wasn’t this bad. Use your head.

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    Mute ggg
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    Mar 22nd 2023, 1:50 PM

    Oh I wouldn’t be too concerned about these children wanted blue hair and boys wearing skirts, I think it’s just kids been bold, they’ll be grand when they reach college age, as soon as they realize the other students are laughing at them they won’t be long in going back to normal behaviour, it’s just a faze they’re going through. I don’t why it gets so many column inches. Relax everybody.

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    Mute Asid Howz
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    Mar 26th 2023, 8:41 AM

    Go Hungary!

    25
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