Three of the 11 anti-bin charge protesters who appeared before the High Court yesterday are members of the Socialist Party. Joe Humphreys reports.
Mr Alan Lee, secretary of the party's Limerick branch, Mr Paul Murphy and Mr John Daniel are all members of the party.
A 12th protester, Mr Mathew Wayne, also a member of the party, is to appear in Dublin District Court this morning on a separate charge.
Eight of those in court yesterday were said to be residents of the Fingal County Council area. They included Ms Tracy Duggan, a mother of three from Huntstown, Blanchardstown, who said yesterday's protest outside her home was the first she had been involved in.
"I saw them gathering at the corner and I went down to show my support. I'd never even been at a bin charge meeting before," she said. Another Huntstown resident who was arrested was Ms Gina Ward, a mother of five, who said her neighbours were "very supportive" of her stance. A total of nine people were arrested at Huntstown Glen, where an estimated 40 protesters blockaded a refuse-collection lorry at about 12.30 p.m.
Three other people were arrested at 10.30 a.m. at Fortlawn, Clonsilla.
Ms Jean Sherwin, Blakestown, of the Fingal Anti-Bin Tax Campaign, criticised the county council for depicting the protesters as "pawns" of the Socialist Party. "They [the party\] are helping to guide us. But I am not a member of the party. Nor are most of the people out on the streets," she said.
In a separate hearing today, Dublin City Council is to apply to the High Court for an order preventing 15 named individuals from obstructing its refuse collections. The names of the 15 were taken by gardaí during protests last week.