An anti-globalisation activist who attempted to break through a Garda cordon protecting the May Day EU accession celebrations claimed he only wanted to sit down on the street as part of his democratic right to protest.
Computer industry worker David McNamara (24) was told by a judge that he was not engaging in democratic protest, but "mob rule" when he ran at gardaí on Dublin's Navan Road on May 1 last.
He was fined €500 and was told the reason he was not going to jail was because he had no previous convictions and had already spent some time in custody after his arrest.
Mr McNamara, Ashfield, Old Portmarnock, Dublin, denied breach of the peace along with a co-accused, Mr Conor Lynch (23), Tybroughney, Piltown, Co Kilkenny. Yesterday in Dublin District Court, Mr Lynch's case was adjourned to allow the defence to consider new evidence.
The case against Mr McNamara continued, with gardaí giving evidence of how protesters spat and shouted at officers in the cordon's front line and also tried to stand on their toes in an attempt to break through. Missiles were thrown and gardaí in riot gear moved forward to take over from uniformed officers.
At this, Mr McNamara spotted a gap and tried to charge through, shouting as he did so, Insp Finbarr Murphy told the court.
Judge Gerard Haughton said he considered it to be a serious breach of the peace, but he accepted Mr McNamara had not been involved in the more serious incidents.