Guards on film: The issue that isn't going away

Gardaí are being videoed without their consent at public protests. Some argue it’s necessary to protect against abuses of civil rights, while others say it has led to cases of individual guards being harassed

Some gardaí feel being photographed leaves them open to being identified and harrassed on the internet Picture: PA

The 44-second YouTube video starts with a caution to the viewer in red and white capital letters: “WARNING, CONTAINS VIOLENCE”.

CCTV security footage kicks in. It is a wet lunchtime on Friday, March 2, 2017 – on a city street in Dublin. Standing beside a car outside Tesco are two uniformed members of An Garda Síochána with a man in handcuffs.

One of the guards strolls into the shop, while the other two ...