REQUEST BY GARDAI TO HAND OVER IMAGES OF THE CROWN FACTORY RIOT LAST MONDAY. For the second time this year we have had a request from gardai to had over images from disturbances related to anti migration riots. The first was in relation to the Dublin Riots last November, the second was in relation to the Crown Paint Factory riot las Monday. This was my reply: Dear Darragh, I am sorry for the delay in replying to you. I was away for the weekend. I am surprised you are requesting this data from me (please see a copy of the statement issued below in response to a previous request for data relating to the November Riots). I understood gardai now had access to body cams and were in a position to record breaches of the law by individuals without recourse to jeopardising the independence, objectivity and safety of professional visual journalists by requesting the handing over of digital imagery captured during serious disturbances. As you may be aware, over the last few months journalists have been intimidated, threatened, harassed, verbally abused and had their vehicles and registration numbers photographed by supporters of anti migrant groups. The request you are making, will if acceded to, only inflame matters further and put the safety of visual journalists in further peril. I find it odd that gardai are complaining of the level of danger their own members are in, and yet are prepared to put journalists' safety at risk by requesting that they become the eyes and ears of the State. I am sure you will understand that like the Garda Commissioner, I also have a duty of care to those who work for me and cannot accede to a request that would endanger their personal safety. I would also ask you to consider the unintended consequences if I and other media platforms were to come to the decision that in order to protect our visual journalists from the consequences of your request, the only solution is to cease covering the type of social disturbances we have witnessed at the Crown Paint factory over the last few weeks. For the reasons above, I cannot accede to your request and I would hope in understanding why, you will not pursue the matter. Eamonn Farrell, Editor, RollingNews.ie rollingnews.ie