AN GARDA Siochana have been criticised after forcibly removing former Debenhams staff from a premises during a protest.
Chaos broke out overnight as furious workers occupied the Henry Street store loading area in an attempt to prevent trucks from removing stock.
Gardai were out in forceCredit: Damien Storan
Chaos broke out overnightCredit: Damien Storan
There has been an ongoing dispute since April last year after the liquidation of Debenhams led to the closure of 11 Irish stores and the loss of approximately 1,400 jobs.
Last night, protestors locked themselves in behind the gates of the loading bay, gathering in numbers as the night went on.
There was a massive turnout from gardai, with witnesses reporting 30-40 officers arriving onto Parnell Street just before midnight.
Videos circulating on social media showed the chaos that ensued and captured groups of gardai hauling people out of the premises.
During a Facebook Live, one person said: “The situation here on Henry Street is that there’s a serious amount of guards on the scene that suggests there’s going to be a grab on the stock.
‘SHAME, SHAME, SHAME’
“We’ve been anticipating this for some while now, it’s been going on at other stores where the guards have disgracefully allowed themselves to be used it assist in a strikebreaking operation.
“There’s a decent posse of Debenhams workers and supports here to take a stand against KPMG, grabbing the stock when this struggle is not resolved it’s ongoing.”
Protestors could be heard chanting in the background: “The workers, united, will never be defeated!” and “Power to the people” and “Shame, shame, shame on you”.
The person continued: “We’re inside the loading bay of Henry Street, the gates are closed but people may be able to see in between the posters the serious enough amount of guards that have assembled.
“One of the guards read out the injunction, the injunction was originally obtained last September just before the second lockdown and was successfully defied by stores in Newbridge, Tralee and Blackrock and there was no real consequences, guards took people’s names at the time but people stood firm.
PBP OUTRAGE
“I think KPMG assumed back in September that the injunction itself would have been enough to frighten the workers and their supporters but that turned out not to be the case.”
Another protestor at the scene said: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that the gardai, who are supposed to be there to serve and protect the people of Ireland, are actually here to throw us off and help KPMG break the law.”
Commenting on the events that took place last night, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told the Irish Sun: “An Garda Siochana attended a premises in Dublin City Centre as required in the execution of a High Court Order on the evening of the 22nd April 2021.
“An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time.”
Outraged politicians took to social media, furious at the events that took place.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett tweeted: “Shocking whats happening here on Parnell street. @gardainfo hauling workers out of #debenhams. Why is @irishgov facilitating this. @MichealMartinTD @LeoVaradkar @pb4p”.
Former People Before Profit politician Ruth Coppinger said: “I’ve listened to @morningireland and @rtenews and still not a mention of a major mobilisation of Gardai to break the #Debenhams Henry Street picket last night. Media blackout by state broadcaster. Spent 10 mins talking about some motor converter thefts #HenryStreetHeroes”.