People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has condemned the “outrageous” decision by the Garda Commissioner to ban the Taxi Protest planned for tomorrow morning.
Taxi drivers have been campaigning since the beginning of the pandemic for specific supports for their industry which has been devastated by Covid19. They held a major protest last year and have engaged in many meetings and discussions to secure adequate supports.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD had hosted a public meeting last week, to which many TDs came, and is also to host a briefing for members of the Oireachtas today at 3pm ahead of the protest that was planned for tomorrow.
Taxi drivers have just heard of the decision by Drew Harris to ban this protest on public health grounds.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said: “It is outrageous that the Commissioner would move to ban this protest on public health grounds, especially considering the protest was to take place with all the drivers in individual cars. This comes on the back of the Commissioner’s decision last week to deploy hundreds of Gardaí to protect the liquidators as they took the stock from Debenhams. So, the “unessential” work of breaking a strike and removing stock is allowed, while a protest in individual cars is banned? Says a lot for the priorities of the Garda Commissioner.”
