Day of the March, 3rd November

Well I arrived into town at 11.45p.m. met up with friends beforehand for a cuppa. Went to Parnell Square for 12.30p.m. the atmosphere was electric and I donned my canary coloured T-Shirt to get into the spirit of the March. Thousands had assembled before the March and came from colleges all over the country. The march began and I must say was all very good humoured and the public seemed to be very supportive. We made our way down O'Connell Street and up Nassau Street we were then guided up to Merrion Square. What disappointed me greatly was the fact we were unable to be outside the Dail gates this was closed off by the Gardai.

The atmosphere was very different up around the Dail very tense and the Gardai were uneasy and on alert, the students were forced down the one side of Merrion Square and a large truck i.e became a stage and also a barricade between the Dail and the Students.

Thousands were squashed into the Street which we tried to get into but the heat and crowds were unbearable, and if a push happened people would have been seriously crushed! All students were very good humoured but obviously cheesed off with the idea of registration fee hikes and many seen the dismal prospect of the dole queue as an option.  TV3 tried to report from the venue but the many interruptions of students jumping behind him, this really annoyed the reporter and he gave up, telling me he was hours trying to make a report and was failing miserably. I asked him to make sure he would report the correct figures for the march, he said they always report the truth.

The rally ended and the students began to disperse from were they were contained unfairly in my opinion I think as Irish citizens we should have been allowed to be in front of the Dail gates, I seen no evidence of students with any missile's. As I proceeded up towards Ely Place I noticed the atmosphere was becoming more stressed for the Gardai and I wondered what was happening. As I got to Merrion Row a number of Gardai on horses came out of Ely Place. I had to leave at that stage and I could not see over the horses or see what was happening ahead. 

Subsequently I have looked at footage on U-Tube and found it very distressing and disturbing because from what I can see many students were observing the few that entered the Department of Finance the riot squad came onto the seen which I think was very unnecessary and this provoked the tension. Students were pleading not to be hit and still they were batoned because they would not move. This was a peaceful protest that was over policed and control was abused and the right to be were you wanted to be in the City was denied. 

Should you decide to watch the U-Tube footage no weapons etc. were used by students, all they did was sat on the ground bully boy tactics that were not required and to add to it all what did this exercise cost? a few eggs thrown boo hoo! a few students sitting in the lobby of the Department of Finance making a peaceful protest, young women and men hit with batons, do our young people need to be treated like this. Once the fee's increase there is no going back and college will only be for the elite few again! Let's hope the forty two thousand students in attendance exercise their right to Vote and don't have to become the next generation to emigrants.

The U-Tube video has been removed maybe for legal reasons or possibly it showed us too much?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Y2G2UHCDQ