O'Donoghue jostled, pinned against door

Protest outside Dáil: The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Mr O'Donoghue was jostled, verbally abused and pinned against a door of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment by anti-war protesters yesterday.

One protester threw a tin of red paint over Senator Terry Leyden (FF) outside the Dáil.

Mr O'Donoghue emerged through the Kildare Street gates of Leinster House at about 1 p.m. and appeared initially to be heading for Buswells Hotel but was immediately recognised by anti-war protesters holding a rally outside the Dáil.

About 30 protesters blocked the Minister's path, repeatedly shouting "shame" as he turned and walked briskly up Kildare Street. The Minister was jostled and shoved on to the footpath and was immediately surrounded by a team of seven gardaí, who linked arms and held the crowd back as Mr O'Donoghue made his way up the street.

A blind woman negotiating the path with the aid of a white stick was caught up in the scuffle and was pushed against railings before being surrounded protectively by three men in suits, as the Minister and his Garda minders passed by.

At the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment the crowd had swelled to about 50 protesters, some of who waved fists and placards and attempted to pull the Garda minders aside.

The Minister and the gardaí attempted to make for the open doorway of the department but officials inside, apparently alarmed by the noise and the scuffles, immediately closed the door. For a number of minutes the Minister was pinned against the door on the steps of the department as the number of gardaí protecting him rose to 10. After a few minutes the door of the department opened slightly and briefly and the Minister was able to enter.

Shortly afterwards a woman approached Senator Leyden at the gates of Leinster House and, having engaged him in conversation, smeared red paint from her hand on to the senator's lapel. She was taken aside by gardaí but released when Mr Leyden said he would not be pressing charges.

Senator Leyden said afterwards: "I was telling her about my nephew, Sean, who is with the American military in the Gulf when all of a sudden she daubed me with paint, I don't know where she got it from. It was a new suit - I've only had it a few weeks. Afterwards she apologised. I understand emotions are running high. The lady offered to pay for cleaning of the suit but I said No."

Earlier, the Irish Anti-War Movement's call for a 10-minute solidarity stoppage was observed by handfuls of civil servants, some private-sector workers and students.

At the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on the corner of Harcourt Street some 19 workers appeared at noon, the number reducing to 12 and then four.

A woman said the "Department of Finance gave permission for the work stoppage" but added that she thought most of the workers were on their own time. She added that as civil servants should not take a position in opposition to Government policy no comment was being made on the Shannon stopover. She did not want her name to be used.

At the American College on Merrion Square, there was no sign of protest. Staff said some students had gone up to Leinster House for the protest. A work stoppage at Dublin's Civic Offices was attended by "about 20 people" who would have had the benefit of flexitime, a spokeswoman said.

At Leinster House a crowd of up to 150 waved anti-war banners bearing the logos of the Labour Party, the Greens, Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party.