Paul Murphy challenges plan to criminalise protest face coverings
Paul Murphy criticised reported Cabinet proposals to criminalise people who wear face coverings at protests and to allow the Gardaí to order removal or arrest those who refuse. He warned the measures risk restricting the right to protest, especially for disabled and immunocompromised people who need face masks.
The transcript reports that proposals were brought to Cabinet this week to criminalise wearing face coverings at protests. It states that anyone wearing any type of face covering - including medical or religious coverings - could be ordered to remove it by the Gardaí and, if they refused, could be arrested.
Paul Murphy argued the proposals could amount to an attack on the right to protest, singling out disabled people who wear face masks and people who are immunocompromised and need masks to be in crowds. He linked the issue to previous fights over the green paper on disability reform and said such people should not have their right to protest restricted.
The speech also refers to accompanying measures reported in the proposals, including body cameras and facial recognition technology. It records that those measures are reported as being prepared for the EU presidency when the government expects a protest from the "quote extreme left."
Paul Murphy said there is shared concern about those who turn up to intimidate others wearing balaclavas and masks, describing instances of people shouting outside homes and causing fear. He characterised the initiative to direct removal of clothing used to make people unidentifiable as sensible in that specific context, while stressing it should not affect immunocompromised protesters.
He asked the Minister to provide clarity in writing on the intent and scope of the legislation and how it would be applied, seeking assurance about protections for vulnerable protesters and the limits on enforcement by the Gardaí.
Alleged Cabinet proposals
The transcript reports that proposals were brought to Cabinet this week to criminalise wearing face coverings at protests. It states that anyone wearing any type of face covering - including medical or religious coverings - could be ordered to remove it by the Gardaí and, if they refused, could be arrested.
Concerns for disabled and immunocompromised protesters
Paul Murphy argued the proposals could amount to an attack on the right to protest, singling out disabled people who wear face masks and people who are immunocompromised and need masks to be in crowds. He linked the issue to previous fights over the green paper on disability reform and said such people should not have their right to protest restricted.
Surveillance and event context mentioned
The speech also refers to accompanying measures reported in the proposals, including body cameras and facial recognition technology. It records that those measures are reported as being prepared for the EU presidency when the government expects a protest from the "quote extreme left."
Support for targeting intimidatory tactics
Paul Murphy said there is shared concern about those who turn up to intimidate others wearing balaclavas and masks, describing instances of people shouting outside homes and causing fear. He characterised the initiative to direct removal of clothing used to make people unidentifiable as sensible in that specific context, while stressing it should not affect immunocompromised protesters.
Request for ministerial clarification
He asked the Minister to provide clarity in writing on the intent and scope of the legislation and how it would be applied, seeking assurance about protections for vulnerable protesters and the limits on enforcement by the Gardaí.
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Transcript
The proposals were reportedly brought to Cabinet this week to criminalise people who wear face coverings on protests. Anyone wearing any type of face covering, be it a disabled person wearing a medical face mask or a religious person wearing a face covering, can be ordered to remove it by the Gardaí. No? I am interested in hearing the answer. What is reported is that if they refused to remove it, they could then be arrested. Certainly what it seemed like was an attack on the right of people to protest, in particular disabled people who subjected the last government to one of the biggest defeats in terms of a rollback on the green paper on disability reform, many of whom have to wear face masks. People who are immunocompromised in order to be out in crowds need to wear face masks and should not have their right to protest be restricted. It comes along with proposals for body cameras, for facial recognition technology and again it is reported as being in preparation for the EU presidency when the government expects a protest from the quote extreme left. I know we do not agree on much, but I thought one of the things we could agree on was our concerns around the activities of some who are loosely termed to the far right who turn up and intimidation to wear balaclavas and face masks, they stood outside your house and mine shouting and roaring and causing significant concern to people in terms of their safety. This is an initiative that is a sensible initiative in terms of a guard being able to direct somebody in terms of the removal of clothing that is wear to make themselves unidentifiable, certainly not about anything to do with the immunocompromised, which would be much support and I will ask the Minister to provide you with clarity in terms of the intent of this legislation and writing.