W2C-011 Irish Times 1-2.txt
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Dublin street clashes between gardai and supporters of SF By Jim Cusack and Maol Muire Tynan

BANDSMEN taking part in a Sinn F&/ein demonstration marched through the centre of Dublin yesterday chanting "I..I..IRA"."

There were ugly confrontations in the city centre between garda&/i and Sinn F&/ein supporters on a number of occasions over the weekend following Sinn F&/ein Youth's national congress in Dublin on Saturday.

Garda&/i were called to Middle Abbey Street on Saturday afternoon after a large group of young men leaving the congress gathered around an unmarked Garda car and began rocking it and kicking it, garda&/i said. It is believed the car contained two Special Branch officers who had been monitoring the event.

Uniformed garda&/i from Store Street station came to the assistance of the two plain-clothes officers and dispersed the crowd without any arrests.

According to the Garda, some people attending the congress were involved in incidents later.

It is understood a disturbance broke out after two uniformed garda&/i attempting to arrest a man who was urinating in a shop doorway on O'Connell Street at around midnight, were surrounded by a crowd.

More garda&/i were called from Store Street station to assist the officers in O'Connell Street. Nine men, including two from Northern Ireland, were arrested and brought to the station, where they were charged with public order offences and released without surety.

It is expected all will receive summonses for the offences and will appear before the District Court.

After yesterday's march through the city centre, a large group protested outside Store Street station about the arrest of the nine men. Scuffles broke out between garda&/i and members of Sinn F&/ein Youth but no further arrests were made.

The protestors claimed that garda&/i had harrassed Sinn F&/ein Youth members after their congress on Saturday. Chanting loudly, they sat on the steps of the Garda station and scuffles followed as garda&/i set about removing them.

The disturbances, however, lasted just minutes as Garda reinforcements moved in and Sinn F&/ein officials appealed for calm and urged the crowd to disperse peacefully.

About 500 people marched in yesterday's demonstration from Parnell Square to Kildare Street, and back. Five flute and drum bands from Northern Ireland, three dressed in combat uniforms and black berets, took part in the demonstration and played republican party tunes.

It was led by a group of recently-released IRA prisoners.

The bands were among a large contingent who travelled to Dublin yesterday morning on a chartered train from Belfast.

The demonstration was also attended by Sinn F&/ein figures and a delegation from the political wing of the Basque separatist organisation ETA.
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