People will be unable to congregate in groups of six or more on Dublin's O'Connell Street without giving 31 days notice under proposed new by-laws against spontaneous protest on the historic thoroughfare.
The draft by-laws, circulated this week to Dublin Corporation's south-east and central area committees, would require the organisers of protest marches and demonstrations to apply in advance for an event licence.
Groups of 50-plus would have to accompany their application with a deposit of £2,000, while groups of more than 300 would be required to submit event management plans and proof of £3 million worth of indemnity insurance.
Mr Donncha O'Connell, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, described the move as "objectionable in principle and unworkable in practice".
Mr Ciaran McNamara, project manager of the O'Connell Street Integrated Area Plan, said in a letter to councillors, said the laws were prepared in response to concerns raised by a consultative group of developers, retailers, and other interest groups who felt "the increasing frequency of road closures and interruptions to public transport . . . is detrimental to the business life of the city centre".
Under the draft laws, no group of people would be permitted to parade or assemble for an event exceeding two hours unless otherwise agreed. No assemblies would be permitted after 11 p.m. and noise levels should not exceed the background noise level by more than 10dB over a 15-minute period.
The £2,000 deposit for groups of 50 or more would be refunded after 14 days if there was no damage to public property. Offenders would be liable to a £1,000 fine and expulsion from the area by the Garda.
Submissions on the draft bylaws will be invited from the public next month before the corporation votes on them.
