THE ASSOCIATION OF Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will write to the Garda Commissioner over an incident involving one of its members at a Covid-19 checkpoint.
The association issued a statement condemning the alleged “abuse and vitriol” directed towards one of its members at a checkpoint today in Dublin today.
The incident was live-streamed by former Irish Independent journalist Gemma O’Doherty and shared on her website.
In the video, O’Doherty tells a garda sergeant: “Your day is coming, you will be stripped of that uniform, you will be stripped of your pension and your job.”
The sergeant is also filmed and asked repeatedly by O’Doherty for her identification details.
In a statement this evening, AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and condemned it in the strongest possible terms.
“The threatening and abusive behaviour the garda sergeant was subjected to crossed the line of acceptable questioning of our role in this public health crisis,” Cunningham said.
“Threats such as ‘this is coming to an end very soon’ and ‘you will be reminded who is in charge and who are your masters’ and… ‘you are a disgrace to this country’ [are] despicable behaviour towards frontline members playing a crucial public health role.”
Cunningham said the association would write to the Garda Commissioner to express its concerns about the incident.
Along with John Waters, O’Doherty has launched a legal challenge against the State over its decision to implement emergency restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pair appeared in court again today, when a group photo also emerged of around 50 people gathered on the quays outside the courts following the hearing.
The next hearing is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 5 May. Leaving the court today, O’Doherty declined to speak to reporters.
Contains reporting by Dominic McGrath. Comments have been closed as the story references ongoing legal proceedings.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say