Spotters at Bal on Easter Sunday

[Snapper]

For information, a large number of spotters who gathered at various viewing points around Baldonnel on Sunday morning to witness/photograph the launch and recovery of the formations of Air Corps aircraft endured a serious level of harassment/intimidation by members of the Garda Special Branch.  

At least six spotters had airband scanners "confiscated" by these wonderful chaps whose behaviour was more in keeping with Police services from 3rd world dictatorships.


1916 and celebrating our freedom how are ye!   '>

[Frank]

Hi Snapper,

I heard that alright, I know one or two of the guys involved, and while I'm not making excuses for anyone, especially people in the establishment who don't understand the aviation photography side of things and the significance of the day, there was a crowd of anarchists who tried to break into Baldonnel by attempting to pull down a fence to:

Quote

inspect the airport for weapons and torture flights

 


Regards,

Frank.

[Snapper]

Frank,

the sad thing is that no attempt was made by the Gardai in question to establish the bona fides of the spotters and they had obviously decided that if you were in the vicinity of Baldonnel last Sunday then you were a troublemaker.

A form of jack boot mentality it seems to me.

Snapper

 '>

[sealion]

Blame the troublemakers, not the security forces. Shannon airport used to be one of the better spotter locations in ireland in the past until the "anti war" crowd started causing trouble there. Now the best photo locations are off limits to the general public.

That said there is no legislation I know of that permits gardai to sieze airband recievers.

There is no Special Branch.

[Joe0]

I'd agree with sealion the gardai can hardly seize scanners if there sale and purchase is not illegal.  Smells like a bit of a power trip to me

[Fouga]

Welcome to the Board JoeO is it just me of have i become the welcoming party here! :-)

[Guinness]

Fouga,

looks that way indeed '>

Welcome onboard Joe0.

Concerning the scanners:
in Belgium it is legal to have one but illegal to use it !!?!!.
Sounds odd but it's the true.
The thing is that when you forbit the scanner ( which is a radioreciever) you must forget ALL radiorecievers so all radiostations can get out of the air straight away.
To bad we can't listen to the Ian Dempsey show anymore :-(

Guinness

[Irish251]

Quote (sealion @ 18 April 2006,19:32)

Blame the troublemakers, not the security forces. Shannon airport used to be one of the better spotter locations in ireland in the past until the "anti war" crowd started causing trouble there. Now the best photo locations are off limits to the general public.

Sealion

It is not, in my opinion, good enough to blame the "troublemakers", whatever that may mean in your book.  Firstly, in a free country, they have a right to express their views, whether we like it or not, as long as they remain within the law.  That, surely, is the hallmark of a democracy rather than a "police state". From viewing photos and video taken at the demonstration outside Baldonnel last Sunday, the protestors looked to me to be a fairly innocuous bunch and I don't think they were equipped with much technology other than cameras.  It must also be a matter of concern if the Gardai considered Baldonnel so insecure that not only the protest group but also people within a mile or so of the airfield were deemed some sort of threat.

[sealion]

Quote (Short finals @ 20 April 2006,22:28)

Quote (sealion @ 18 April 2006,19:32) Blame the troublemakers, not the security forces. Shannon airport used to be one of the better spotter locations in ireland in the past until the "anti war" crowd started causing trouble there. Now the best photo locations are off limits to the general public. Sealion It is not, in my opinion, good enough to blame the "troublemakers", whatever that may mean in your book.  Firstly, in a free country, they have a right to express their views, whether we like it or not, as long as they remain within the law.  That, surely, is the hallmark of a democracy rather than a "police state". From viewing photos and video taken at the demonstration outside Baldonnel last Sunday, the protestors looked to me to be a fairly innocuous bunch and I don't think they were equipped with much technology other than cameras.  It must also be a matter of concern if the Gardai considered Baldonnel so insecure that not only the protest group but also people within a mile or so of the airfield were deemed some sort of threat.

The video I watched also showed a group of anarchists(self admitted) who have no respect for any law and order being arrested by gardai as they tried to gain illegal entry to a military airbase. They did not remain within the law. The Gardai took over. End of.
Their video showed no garda doing any more than restraining those arrested, and pushing cameras out of their faces while they were trying to do their job.
Look at the bigger picture. They were trying to gain entry to an active aerodrome, which at the time was operating almost all aircraft in its inventory. They are welcome to protest outside the fence all they like, but once they try to break into the airfield, then they are putting their lives, and pilots lives at risk.
I don't even see why they are protesting outside the don in the first place, apart from the fact that foreign military aircraft have passed through on a regular basis, and their hairball brains seem to think every foreign military aircraft is either bringing cluster bombs to iraq, or bringing prisoners to guantanamo.

All those who had scanners siezed on sunday should go to the gardai who siezed them and seek their return.

[Frank]

Hi sealion,

All the scanners were returned on the day, the guys just had to wait until after 6pm before collecting them (not that they should have been confiscated in the first place).


Regards,

Frank.

[Irish251]

Sealion

The key point I was making was more eloquently made by Voltaire:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Not having been at the scene, I would not claim to know exactly what transpired outside Baldonnel last Sunday. You may be better informed.

As regards the belief among many in the media and the general public about the nature of visiting military flights using Baldonnel, I agree that they are wide of the mark.  However, excessive sensitivity about activity at the base does not help to dispell such beliefs.  As you may be aware, it is possible to view the flying activity at many military airfields across the UK and Western Europe without automatically being categorised as a security threat.  It's a pity that our own authorities tend to be less accommodating.

[sealion]

Remember those British Plane spotters who were arrested in Greece...

[Irish251]

Yes - I did say Western Europe, though.  Mind you, the Greeks held a widely-acclaimed airshow at Tanagra last year, so maybe things are improving there.

http://www.afterburner.nl/archangel.htm

[202]

I am having difficulty linking Irish Military Online from this site's link, any suggestions?

[sealion]

Irish militaryonline is currently irishmilitaryoffline