Ireland: Anti-lockdown activists to protest in Cork from 1400 March 6

Event

Activists denouncing COVID-19 restrictions plan to protest in Cork March 6. Participants will gather on Saint Patrick's Street, outside Brown Thomas, from 1400. Attendance will likely be in the hundreds.

Additional police will almost certainly deploy to monitor the action; related security measures will likely prompt localized disruptions in the protest area. Current COVID-19 measures in Ireland restrict public gatherings. Police may preemptively ban the action or attempt to disperse activists deemed to be breaching these restrictions. Activists seeking to circumvent security cordons may gather in other parts of the city. A related protest in Dublin Feb. 28 escalated to clashes between protesters and police resulting in 23 arrests and multiple injuries. Security services anticipate that violent groups of activists will also attend the Cork protest March 6 indicating further clashes are likely. Bystanders are unlikely to be directly targeted in any violence but would face a significant threat of harm.

Advice

Avoid the protest as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Heed instructions from security forces and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. Check public transport schedules and local traffic conditions for disruptions before beginning journeys. Allow extra time for travel in central Cork March 6.