Irish woman describes 'dystopian' experience of arrest at Palestine Action protest
James Cox
An Irish woman who was among the 532 arrested in London over the weekend for carrying placards opposing the banning of the activist group Palestine Action has described the "dystopian" experience of her arrest.
Limerick native Sinéad Ní Shiacáis travelled to London to join the peaceful protest. Metropolitan Police carried out a mass arrest that detained anyone carrying a sign saying, 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestinian Action'.
UK minister for justice Yvette Cooper's move to ban Palestine Action has been met with widespread opposition.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Ms Ní Shiacáis said: "In all my years protesting I've never seen anything more dystopian. I've been protesting since I was young with my dad."
Ms Ní Shiacáis is a climate campaigner, and she said her experience in London was the opposite of how protesters were treated at rallies she previously attended.
"This one was extremely dystopian. We were arrested and carried into a van. They literally brought us around the corner to Westminster/Whitehall, it was a two minute drive around the corner, it was bizarre.
"I felt they were trying to make an example of us. Once we were on the street, they had gazebos up and we were made to wait outside. I even heard some police officers saying it was ridiculous."
She said a number of people suffered medical emergencies.
Like something out of Monty Python.
"There were police officers processing evidence in the back of a van, it was like something out of Monty Python."
She was taken to a police station where she was held for seven hours, before being released at 3am the following morning.
"Because I had no identification on me, after I was brought into the processing gazebo I was sent to Kentish Town Police Station. I was left there for seven hours and woken up abruptly at 3am by an officer who was extremely rude.
"I didn't get to make a call for ages but then I rang my solicitor, he was really lovely and said if they ask for an interview he would come over.
"They let me out at 3am, with no way of getting out of there. Luckily, there were volunteers from a climate charity who look after activists there. They gave me water and made sure I was OK, and got a taxi for me.
"I was staying an hour and a half from London."
Ms Ní Shiacáis emphasised that protesters are "not the story".
She expressed frustration at the Israeli government's consistent claims that murdered civilians have links to Hamas.
"We have to take action because what's happening in Britain is an encroachment on our rights as citizens.
"The journalist Anas Al-Sharif was killed in Gaza, the Israeli government keeps killing civilians and just claiming they were a member of Hamas."
She said she is not concerned about potential charges, adding that she feels individuals and governments need to do more to stop the violence in Gaza.
We are not the story, the Palestinian people are the story.
"I'm not anxious about being charged. I made the choice to go over, I knew what I was doing. What I'm more anxious about is the fact there are Palestinian people being obliterated, being annexed by Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
"Our own government are not doing enough, they are dragging their heels on the Occupied Territories Bill, they're watering it down.
"I'm privileged and I have civil liberties that I may have given up to take a stand, I'm more anxious that not enough people are doing enough.
"We are not the story, the Palestinian people are the story. They are begging people to give them a voice. I'm not the story, the Palestinian people are the story, and hopefully more people will realise that."
