Mayday 2004 - 47 Minutes, 28 Shots


I've been in the city center since about 12 o'clock. I've listened to speech's at the Central Bank and music at Heuston Station it was a very enjoyable day.

I get to the GPO just as the march moves off to the Phoenix Park. The mood is good as we walk along the Cabra and Navan Roads, after about 7 km we the march stops to let everybody have a rest and a break.

Here are 28 shots which show what happend over the next 47 minutes.



20:24 - After a 15 minute break the march continues on to the Phoenix Park.



20:27 - I cycle on to see what is a head of us, multiple rows of Gardai are blocking all access from the Navan Road to the roundabout.



20:27 - The march stops 200 meters from the roundabout at the entrance to a housing estate. The march organisers relay the news about the route being block, they ask that the march disbands peacefully and not to confront the Gardai.



20:33 - A number of marchers seem to want to confront the Gardai.



20:33 - A group of hooded and masked marchers (The Wombles) can be clearly seen moving forward.



20:35 - The stand off begins, most people seem to just want to watch. I don't want to get involved and stay well clear of the front lines.



20:38 - The march organisers sit down well clear of the front lines, I believe they know what is going to happen and are not happy about it.



20:41 - The stand off continues.



20:42 - Something has happened, a number of Gardai vans and water cannon move in.



20:44 - The water cannon start spraying.



20:49 - There is a pause as the second water cannon moves up.



20:55 - I move a bit closer to get a better shot of the action. A Garda films (takes pictures?) of the crowd with riot a helmet on, there where a number of Gardai doing this all day.



21:56 - I'm not sure what they are trying to do here.



21:01 - The Gardai start to move forward.



21:01 - Some of the marchers start to move back down the Navan Road, slowly.



21:02 - The Gardai continue to push forward.



21:03 - They are getting closers, I move back.



21:04 - The marchers have bunched up again.



21:04 - Wet, but it doesn't seem to have dampened there spirits.



21:05 - The Gardai let them have some more of the water cannon.



21:06



21:06 - I was able to see that it was not just the marchers throwing objects at the Gardai, there were also a number of local young men going it.



21:07



21:07



21:07 - I watched a stone thrown from within the crowd at the Gardai. It hit a marcher directly in front of the Gardai on the back of the head, he fell to the ground. Other marchers quickly pulled him away from the Gardai.



21:08 - Ok too close, time to move away. I'm surprised I'm not soaked, just some heavy splashing around my legs.



21:09 - The marchers are still defiant.



21:11 - The batteries in my camera are gone, I start to head back to the city center and home.




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Last updated 2006-04-22. Copyright © 2004, 2006 Robert Fitzsimons. robfitz at 273k dot net