City Library to face another protest
On 2 September Cork City Library is set to be at the centre of another protest organised by the group Cork Says No, which is associated with the far-right political party Ireland First.
Workers at the library have been targeted multiple times in recent months by the protestors. On a number of occasions, small groups have entered the premises, recorded staff and subjected them to intimidation and verbal abuse.
During the most recent protest on 29 July, a decision was made to close the library after the protestors draped a banner without permission at the entrance of the library, which read: 'There are only two genders: male and female'. The protest focused on the presence of LGBTQ+ reading materials for children at the library which they vehemently oppose.
The trade union Fórsa has said that they have attempted to engage with Cork City Council to ensure the safety and protection of library staff during potential future protests from the agitators.
“We have written to the city council looking to explore options together because the union would like to be working proactively with management and with the city council in order to protect our members as much as possible,” said Liz Fay of Fórsa.
“When you put in place protective procedures, by extension you are protecting the public. We are looking to engage with regard to safety statements, training, and the introduction of bespoke policies in relation to protests and organised events. They have not been very clear to us about what steps are being taken to protect their employees. We are awaiting further engagement with them.”
When asked about the city council's response, Miss Fay said that they haven't been directly responsive to the union.
However, she noted that following the solidarity march for library workers in July, there has been increased interaction between the council and their staff. She said however that “it’s unfortunate that it had to come to a head”.
With a further protest planned in September, Miss Fay said while library staff will not want to shut the library, they will need to carefully assess the situation. “No librarian wants to close the library or withdraw services from the public. What you have to weigh up is the risk of keeping those services open when you have a group of protestors who regularly access the library and who abuse staff verbally and who intimidate.”
Andy Heasman, one of the prominent figures in the library protests, identifies as a staunch Catholic and often records himself confronting library and bookshop staff regarding LGBTQ+ literature.
In response to inquiries about the measures being put in place ahead of the protest in September, a spokesperson for an Garda Siochana issued the following statement to The Cork Independent: “There is a constitutional right to the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, subject to statutory provisions. An Garda Síochána respects the right for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights. An Garda Síochána has no role in permitting or authorising public gatherings. Where necessary An Garda Síochána put in place appropriate and proportionate policing plans to monitor public gatherings.”
The Cork Independent has contacted Cork City Council for a statement about any plans they may have to protect library workers from future protests but has not received a response at this time.
Cork City Cllr Dan Boyle of the Green Party said: “As the small group of agitators is known, I would argue that the City Council take injunctions against them to ensure that they cannot further disrupt the delivery of public services.”