GARDAÍ HAVE CONFIRMED they are investigating an incident where a water protester claims to have been assaulted and threatened by three men early today.

Mick Mooney told TheJournal.ie he was walking up Prussia Street in Dublin towards the North Circular Road at approximately 8.10am today when he noticed three men who kept looking at him.

He believes he was targeted because of his political stance against the introduction of water charges.

He alleges that “one guy in particular, wearing a black hat and a black scarf covering his face, turned back and started to walk towards me”.

“As you can imagine, I felt quite frightened by this behaviour. He stared to shout at me, saying: ‘You want to watch yourself, you don’t know who you’re messing with.’”

Mooney, a member of ‘Stoneybatter Against the Water Tax’, said he was on the phone to his partner at the time. He claims one of the men pinned him to the wall, knocked his phone out of his hand and slapped his head twice.

Whilst I was pinned to the wall the first guy was reaching into his pocket, at this stage I froze. I did not know what was about to happen. He took out his mobile phone and produced a picture of my car’s registration and told me: ‘I’ll get you, you don’t know who you’re messing with.’

Mooney alleges that the men told him they knew where he lived and would “get him”.

He claims that gardaí told him they would patrol his house if necessary. The Garda Press Office could not confirm if this was the case, but did say gardaí are investigating.

Mooney said he found the alleged threats particularly worrying as he has a 7-year-old son and now fears for his safety.

He said every protest he has attended has been peaceful, adding: “I don’t condone any acts of violence.”

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