Comments from inside the Garda on the fire-retardant “hoods” or balaclavas worn by gardaí at the Take Back the City housing crisis protest in Dublin have focused on safety. Delegates have said gardaí policing protests regularly become a target for the anger that demonstrators feel towards the State or whatever agency they are protesting against. They have complained that many social media users posting images and video of gardaí on duty invite others to identify them. Garda sources said the online activity is harassing and stressful for the Garda members involved and their families. And against that backdrop, they say, it was no surprise some of the gardaí policing the protest on Tuesday sought to conceal their faces.

Source: The Irish Times September 13, 2018 20:37 UTC