Looks like the Irish anti-Globalisation movement now have their own little Genoa and Seattle, what with monday's Reclaim The Streets march in Dublin being broken up by the Gardai (Irish police) with excessive force. The pictures on the news yesterday were shocking - some members of the Gardai were clearly shown flailing wildly with their batons and deliberately trying to "crack skulls". Whats worse it appears that these policemen also removed their identifying badges to prevent subsequent identification. Naturally there's been an national outcry. I'm sure the offenders will get punished and hopefully it will result in a positive measures to install some sort of independent monitor of Garda activity.

That said, I've no doubt that there was some provocation of the police - not that that mitigates their actions. And furthermore the media coverage of this demonstration is a god send of publicity for the rag-bag of organisations and causes which gravitate around and/or constitute the anti-globalisation movement. It may well be that aggravation of the police is a definite tactic of the militant tendancy within the movement.

As far as I tell the main groups involved here are the Trotskyite Socialist Workers Party, the Globalise Resistance movement and the aforementioned Reclaim The Streets group. Already it appears that tensions exist between these disparate groups over the decision to hold a protest against police brutality in Dublin tomorrow.
Lets see what happens then - there is a strong possibility that it will do nothing to garner additional public sympathy and will be hijacked by Joe Carolan and the loony left.

Incidentally here's irony for you - what do you think the first questions are on the application form for the UK arm of Globalise Resistance? Of course its your Bank branch and sort code. Make of that what you will.....