AgriLand understands that one protester has been arrested and another injured and hospitalised after an alleged stand-off between protesters and Gardaí at the Liffey Meats facility in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan today, Monday, September 2.
According to one farmer involved in the protest, the protesters were “roughly handled” by Gardaí, who were apparently attempting to remove them from the site.
It is understood that it was in the course of this incident that one protester was arrested and another injured.
According to a statement by Gardaí, the arrested man was detained in relation to breaches of the Public Order Act. Meanwhile, the injured protester was taken in an ambulance to Cavan General Hospital in Cavan town.
Apparently, protesters had been allowing some vehicles – such as refrigerated lorries – in and out of the facility.
“It’s nobody in and nobody out now. Tempers are up. It’s no longer peaceful what’s going on here,” the farmer said.
It has been alleged that an agreement had been in place between Gardaí and the protesters, but that this agreement was “reneged on” by the authorities.
This is the first instance of a protester being arrested since the initial wave of protests began last month.
According to Gardaí, investigations into the incident are ongoing.
The images below are from the protest, and show an ambulance arriving on the scene, and what appears to be someone being placed inside a Garda vehicle.
