This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER PINR EI NIPP
SUBJECT: IRELAND:  LOVE ULSTER RALLY PROVOKES DUBLIN RIOTS 
 
¶1.  Summary.  On February 25, Dublin witnessed rioting on a 
scale not seen in the city in over 30 years.  No deaths or 
serious injuries were reported, however.  The riots 
effectively canceled a planned march organized by Northern 
Ireland Unionist groups to lobby against what they perceive 
as government concessions to Irish nationalism/republicanism 
and to highlight the plight of victims of republican violence 
in the past.  The violence, which mainly targeted police and 
a few hapless bystanders, lasted over three hours and saw 14 
people (including eight police officers) hospitalized and 
property damage estimated at euro 50,000.  Police arrested 42 
people, 14 of whom were charged at a special sitting of 
Dublin District Court with arson, criminal damage, public 
order offenses and looting.  Along with all political 
parties, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams publicly condemned 
the violence.  Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern blamed 
"thuggery and the gathering of what probably were different 
groups" for the violence, and said that it "did us harm and 
shamed the city and the country."  End Summary. 
 
Riots in Dublin 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  On February 25, Dublin witnessed rioting on a scale not 
seen in the city in over 30 years.  The riots were in 
response to, and caused the abandonment of, a march to 
commemorate the Unionist victims of terrorism in Northern 
Ireland.  The march was organized by Love Ulster, a coalition 
of Unionist politicians, Orangemen and victims groups who 
lobby against what they perceive as government concessions to 
Irish nationalism/republicanism, and Families Acting for 
Innocent Relatives (FAIR), a support group for the relatives 
of victims of IRA terrorism.  The Irish Police, who 
authorized the march, were aware that a demonstration against 
the march had been organized by Republican Sinn Fein (RSF), 
the political wing of the Continuity IRA (CIRA), but were 
unprepared for the scale of the violence that took place. 
Sinn Fein, the legal political party that operates in 
Northern Ireland and the Republic, is unconnected to the RSF. 
 The violence, which continued for over three hours, saw 14 
people (including eight police officers) hospitalized and 
property damage estimated at euro 50,000. 
 
¶3.  The violence began near the intersection of O'Connell 
Street and Parnell Square, a public renovation site that was 
the planned starting point for the march.  As police officers 
lined the proposed route of the march, they came under attack 
from two petrol bombs, stones, bottles, billiard balls, golf 
balls, and readily available building materials hurled by the 
predominately young crowd.  As word filtered to the mob that 
Unionist marchers were reassembling at the Irish Parliament, 
the rioting moved down O'Connell Street and crossed the 
Liffey River, leaving broken windows and looting in its wake. 
 At least one attack on Asian shopworkers was blamed on the 
mob as it passed by. 
 
The Justice Minister Briefs Parliament 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  In a special session of Parliament, on February 28, 
Justice Minister Michael McDowell presented a report from the 
police on the riot that included a summary on how the force 
had prepared for the demonstration.  McDowell praised the 
efforts of the police, blaming a "mob of cowardly thugs" for 
the violence, which had not been anticipated.  Police 
intelligence gleaned prior to the march was that the only 
counter-demonstration planned was by the RSF, who intended to 
mount a peaceful sit-down protest involving a relatively 
small number of its members.  McDowell stated that RSF 
declined to engage in a "meaningful manner" with the police 
and would not give any information on its counter-protest, 
describing their failure to cooperate "despicable." 
According to McDowell, 281 members of the force were deployed 
to the vicinity of the march with 67 members of the public 
order unit (riot squad) discreetly deployed nearby "in case 
events took an unexpected turn." 
 
Arrests 
-------- 
 
¶5.  Police arrested 42 people, 14 of whom were charged at a 
special sitting of Dublin District Court on February 25 with 
arson, criminal damage, public order offenses and looting. 
Police are in the process of collecting thousands of video 
images of the rioters and will distribute them among 
intelligence officers to arrest and prosecute those involved. 
 
Condemnations 
------------- 
 
¶6.  Along with all political parties, Sinn Fein (SF) 
President Gerry Adams publicly condemned Saturday's violence. 
 Sean Crowe, an SF Member of Parliament from Dublin, also 
condemned the violence and called for the expulsion from SF 
of any member who might be convicted of involvement in the 
riots.  According to press reports, SF previously had advised 
its supporters to avoid the march.  The Prime Minister blamed 
"thuggery and the gathering of what probably were different 
groups" for the violence, and said that it "did us harm and 
shamed the city and the country." 
 
¶7.  Comment: Although the riots may not directly affect the 
Northern Ireland peace process, they will give ammunition to 
groups in Northern Ireland that portray the Republic of 
Ireland as intolerant of Northern Protestants and unionists. 
In Dublin, the event is largely seen as an embarrassment to 
the police and to the Republic's peaceful, tolerant, and 
prosperous image. 
 
 
 
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Visit Dublin's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/dublin/index. cfm 
KENNY