Gardai probe gang attack on Proinsias de Rossa
Fiach Kelly and Tom Brady
GARDAI are investigating an alleged assault on Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa as he left a public meeting on the upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum.
The alleged attackers were "four or five" anti-treaty campaigners, according to Labour TD Joe Costello, who arrived on the scene after the incident had taken place.
Speaking to the Irish Independent from Brussels last night, Mr De Rossa said: "Everything is fine. I came to Brussels this morning to do my work and I'll go back to Dublin tomorrow.
"I'm shocked and I'm shaken but apart from that, I'm fine. The gardai know who they [the attackers] are. I'm really not in a position to discuss it at the moment. It's still an emotional issue."
Blood
Mr Costello said the former Democratic Left leader had blood on his hands after the assault took place on the path outside Liberty Hall, Dublin, on Monday night.
Mr De Rossa later told gardai that he had been knocked to the ground and injured his hand, which bled. He also alleged that some of the group sat on him, but said he did not wish to make a formal complaint about the incident. But one of the anti-treaty campaigners alleged he had been assaulted by Mr De Rossa.
Gardai are examining CCTV footage taken from cameras in the area and will also seek to interview everybody who was there.
It is understood that Mr De Rossa tried to push away a camcorder being used to film him as he left the building.
Mr Costello also said that the gang of alleged attackers had camcorders, which they had used to film some of the meeting, although he was unsure if they filmed the attack.
"The meeting was quite loud and unruly at times," he said. "Proinsias was a particular target of some of the 'no' campaigners in terms of some of the things they were saying."
- Fiach Kelly and Tom Brady
