Irish Times Report on the Dublin Riots

This issue STIG will point out the hypocrisy of the Irish Times publishing postings from the SRFC Ultras internet message board

By John Craddock

On 28th February last the Irish Times published an article entitled "Garda (sic) think football hooligans intended to cause chaos". In it they attempted to link the Shamrock Rovers Ultras to the riots in Dublin at the LOVE-Ulster parade which had taken place a few days earlier. To achieve this link they published postings made anonymously on the Ultras’ internet site.

To highlight the hypocrisy of this, we re-publish below postings made on the Irish Times website, www.ireland.com.

Some show support for the rioters;

"they [the parade participants] deserve to be stoned to death for having the audacity to carry their banners into the Republic. Why are our police protecting people who are fundamentally opposed to our state?"

"I was delighted to see the majority of young Dubliners take a stand against allowing the Love Ulster contingent (Shankill Butchers Incorporated)."

"Splendid display of anti-fascism outrage on Saturday. Well done lads. I would have hated to see them walk down O’Connell St. without at least some sort of low level violence."

"Those thugs should have been gassed and shot if necessary."

"They [the Gardaí] were missing rubber bullets, tear gas, and sub machine guns. This riot by "republicans" (white trash with booze) should have been beaten and shot mercilessly in a Southern re-enactment of the infamous Bloody Sunday. It would have been remembered as Bloody Saturday Afternoon and U2 could have sung about it at their next gig"

"certain differences in opinion are not amenable to resolution through reasoned logical discourse. And that they need to be settled on the battlefield. Let’s hope that the Sackville Street battle helps brings that home to you all. The future of Western Civilization depends on you understanding that point."

Some likened Northern Protestants to Nazis -

"I can see why they rioted – because of a stupid idea to bring an ULSTER parade to Dublin. An insult at the best of times to those who fought to free Ireland from those occupiers. Similar situations DID occur when the German Nazis marched in 1994 through Luxembourg. "

"When I hold lectures about Ireland and its history I always draw a parallel to the occupation of Denmark by the Germans under World War 2.

"And on the question of marching season and loyalists exhibiting their triumph every year, I have asked pupils and students of how would they feel if it was the Germans marching through the local town to demonstrate their power.

"The answers are plain and logical to understand – they would do exactly the same as any ordinary clear thinking individual and protest and probably throw bricks and what have you. Allowing loyalists to march through Dublin is out of context and disrespect for the peaceful living community in the Republic." (not exactly sure what that last bit should have said, but it is Rovers)

Some believe that the riots were started by a Garda conspiracy

"the Gardaí are anti-Orange bigots who set up the riot themselves."

"Of course the Southern securocrats have long been as opposed to the peace process as their Northern brethren. For similar reasons of overtime depletion."

And some are simply bizarre;

"Did you hear the news? President Bush is sending a B-52 bomber to unload a giant, humongous turd on you folks. "

The moral of the story is that the internet allows people to post material anonymously and the host of an internet site is no more responsible for the conversations that take place on their site than a pub owner is responsible for the content of conversations that take place in his premises. The Irish Times recognises this point and prints at the bottom of its internet page

"The Irish Times and ireland.com take no responsibility for the opinions expressed."

As the Irish Times correctly does not accept responsibility for comments posted on its internet site it is hypocritical to hold the SRFC Ultras responsible for comments on their site.

This article originally appeared in Volume 6, issue 2 of STIG.

Disclaimer

We have tried to make this article as factually accurate as possible. However, if there is a factual error, please contact us at stigonline@stigonline.com and we will publish a correction.