A COALITION of groups campaigning against the Lisbon Treaty has condemned a reported attack on Labour Party MEP Proinsias De Rossa on Monday night.
Gardaí are investigating a claim that Mr De Rossa was knocked to the ground by a small group of anti-Lisbon Treaty protesters following a public meeting on the treaty organised by the Labour Party at Liberty Hall in Dublin. Mr De Rossa suffered minor injuries in the incident.
The Campaign Against the EU Constitution (CAEUC) said it "would like to condemn the assault" and state that "however angry people may feel about the way the Lisbon Treaty is being presented, violence has no place in the campaign".
The CAEUC was formed in 2005 and organisations affiliated to its campaign include the Communist Party of Ireland, the Irish Anti War Movement, the Socialist Workers Party and Sinn Féin.
Several people at the meeting said it was raucous and robust, with some strong anti-Lisbon interjections from the floor.
The CAEUC said: "By intervening in the debate, we were hoping to reach Labour Party supporters who may not be aware of threats to democracy, social justice and peace contained in the Lisbon Treaty."
Brendan Young of the CAEUC said the group wants Mr De Rossa to declare that he will respect the outcome of the Irish referendum.
"If there is a majority vote against the treaty, they should respect it and not have another situation like Nice or what happened with the EU constitution in France and Holland," he said.
