837 assaults on Gardaí in first 10 months of 2020

ireland
837 Assaults On Gardaí In First 10 Months Of 2020
Photo: Collins
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Digital Desk Staff

There were 837 assaults on Gardaí in the first 10 months of this year.

There are likely to be over 1,000 by the end of 2020 - compared to 929 last year, which was 22 per cent more than 2018.

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Justice Minister Helen McEntee has condemned the attacks.

Speaking about the figures, Sinn Féin's justice spokesman, Martin Kenny, says action is needed to ensure Gardaí are safe: "It is quite concerning, we would have to get under the figures I think and see exactly what the situation is.

“It is very alarming and I think we need to get a full detail of exactly the circumstances of how these instances happened and where they took place.”

He also said that the Gardaí are an unarmed police force who are doing a great job in general in communities, he added that we have to be make sure that “they are safe as well as keeping others safe.”

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Carnival atmosphere

It comes as on Saturday night, Gardaí made a number of arrests for public order offences in Cork city as part of increased patrols for compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.

Large numbers gathered in the city centre in what one garda described as “a carnival atmosphere”.

Footage of the crowds was shot by charity worker Ali Hamou.

Mr Hamou, who volunteers with the One Human Community charity which conducts soup runs at weekends, said he filmed the area at 8pm.

It shows people, many without masks, milling around Grand Parade and some skateboarding. At one point a Garda car appears.

Mr Hamou said it was a similar story last weekend in the city.

“We will never get out of this lockdown if we keep doing this,” he told The Irish Examiner.

Mr Hamou said he appreciated many people out on the streets were young, but he added that many appeared to be drunk and were not wearing masks or practising social distancing.

 

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