Thumbs-down for gardai in demo baton charge
Wednesday May 15 2002
A total of 67pc of people in the capital think the Gardai were unduly severe in their reaction to the protest when they resorted to batoning citizens. And nearly three quarters of young people - 74pc of those aged 18 to 24 - share this view.
The national figures show that 59pc believe the gardai were too severe in their disruption of the gathering. A fraction of the electorate, 4pc, believed they were not severe enough.
However, the public are not ready to agree that blocking the streets is a legitimate form of protest. Some 54pc reject that proposition, comfortably ahead of the 36pc who feel occupying the roadway is an acceptable tactic, with 10pc undecided.
Meanwhile, less than a quarter of Irish people expect to be better off next year, showing that the optimism of the Celtic Tiger era has gone. But neither has it been replaced by pessimism. Only one person in eight expects to be worse off next year.
The broad mass of the electorate is taking a sanguine view of recent economic storm clouds gathering on the horizon, with 61pc of people believing they will be "about the same" in terms of standard of living next year.
Most people similarly favour a resumption of the National Partnership agreements, believing they have been good for society.
Only 11pc are ideologically against a follow-up deal to the PPF, while an overwhelming 59pc are in favour. A further 30pc are undecided.
The opinion poll findings appear themselves to have been influenced by opinion polls, because 44pc now believe Fianna Fail will win an overall majority a prospect only thrown up by voter sampling with 40pc still believing it won't happen.
- Senan Molony
