Protestors were accused of “blatant disregard” for public safety.
Mannix Flynn, an independent Dublin City councillor, has said protestors who gathered at the Phoenix Park last night should “get real” and take their vaccination.
Speaking to 98FM after over a thousand people gathered in the Phoenix Park to voice their opposition to a ban on unvaccinated people dining indoors, Flynn said that whilst he respected the right to protest, it could not happen at the cost of other people’s lives, with the councillor appearing to suggest that Covid-19 is likely to have spread at the event.
“Here we have a blatant disregard for the rest of us,” he claimed.
“We respect their right to protest, or to not wear a masks, but they also have to respect our rights in relation to this particular matter.
“They also have to respect our laws as we seek to protect ourselves and protect our society, as we open up the economy and gain more and more freedoms.
“People need to get real with this.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel. I think we should persist with the policies that exist at the moment. Take your vaccination and let’s all live together.
“We live in a democracy, and of course people have a right to protest, but not at the cost of other people’s lives of course.”
Protestors gathered near Áras an Uachtaráin last night to urge President Michael D Higgins not to sign a bill that would only permit vaccinated persons and those who have recovered from Covid-19 to dine indoors.
The issue caused significant disagreement in the Dáil on Wednesday night, as the government narrowly won a vote to allow the legislation to progress to the Seanad whilst demonstrators gathered outside the Convention Centre.
Critics of the legislation claim the government is introducing discriminatory measures that will create a “two-tier” society, whilst also allegedly coercing people into taking a Covid-19 vaccine.
Another massive crowd tonight, something is certainly brewing. Keep it going guys #DublinProtest #NoVaccinePassports #phoenixpark pic.twitter.com/xFZDWQPeWS
— Irish Truth Seeker (@IETruthSeeker) July 15, 2021