HUNDREDS OF people gathered for an anti-lockdown protest in Dublin yesterday.
The demonstration was organised by the protest group Health Freedom Ireland in conjunction with the Yellow Vests Ireland.
Hundreds congregated outside Custom House Quay from 2pm this past Saturday, August 22nd.
There was no social distancing while the majority of those in attending also opted not to wear any form of face mask or face covering.
The protests were led by anti-vaccination campaigners Maeve Murran and Kelly Johnson.
A statement released by Health Freedom Ireland said demonstrators were protesting the “insistence on using the store-provided hand sanitisers, even when people bring their own” and “discussion of social distancing, mask wearing and other measures in school."
Professor Dolores Cahill was one of several speakers who addressed the crowd.
The current vice chair of the Scientific Committee of the Innovative Medicines Initiative, Professor Cahill was recently asked to resign from her post over several claims made about the pandemic.
She was one of several speakers to denounce Ireland’s current Covid-19 restrictions which were criticised as both unconstitutional and unnecessary.
The wearing of face masks was also branded “idiotic” with one speaker even suggesting there was no evidence that wearing face coverings offer any kind of protection against coronavirus.
Protest taking place at the Custom House in Dublin this afternoon against Government Covid restrictions such as mask wearing, mandatory vaccines and local lockdowns. Approx 500 people gathered in a crowd not wearing masks. pic.twitter.com/jTIsRhe1RL
— Julieanne Corr (@JulieanneCorr) August 22, 2020
They called on the government to make the wearing of masks a matter of choice for the people of Ireland.
A small counter-protest took place on Butt Bridge while there was also a Garda presence at the event.
Gardaí also confirmed to RTÉ that four men were arrested.
One was arrested for a breach of the peace and two of the men were remanded for public order offences.
The fourth man was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.
Beautiful empowering peaceful #protest by a few thousand men, women & children today in #Dublin ☘️ A sleeping Giant has awoken. Well done @HealthFreedomIE , Yellow Vests & all the excellent speakers. #Freedom of speech, thought, assembly & bodily integrity for all ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/hmCwW9dKOk
— Empowering people to thrive as old paradigms fail (@MarkTOByrne) August 22, 2020
Several videos from the event were shared on social media, showing that the protests were largely peaceful, aside from the four arrests.
Despite the lack of social distancing, An Garda Síochana here will be no formal investigation into the breaches as public health guidelines on social distancing and management of events do not represent penal provisions.
In a statement issued to the broadcaster, gardaí said it will "continue to adopt a graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent".
See More: Anti-mask, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Dublin, Lockdown, Protest
