About fifty street traders left their stalls in Henry Street at close of business to protest against the jailing of independent TD for Dublin Central Tony Gregory.
Pushing prams and carrying placards the women marched to Mountjoy Prison, demanding the release of the man they say was only trying to help them.
Throughout July 1985 street traders and Gardaí had clashed over the right to casual trading in Dublin city centre. The dispute was around casual trading in non-designated areas. Tony Gregory advocated on behalf of the street traders. After a sit-down protest with Sinn Féin Councillor Christy Burke, and future Labour Party TD Joe Costello on Dublin's O'Connell Street in defence of a street trader; Gregory, Burke and four others were arrested and charged with obstruction and threatening behaviour. Tony Gregory spent two weeks in Mountjoy Prison after refusing to sign a bond to keep the peace.
The traders plan to mount a picket outside the prison. One Gregory supporter says
I think it’s a living disgrace that such a good man should be put inside Mountjoy. He helped everybody in the inner city. These are only hard-working women with families trying to earn an honest living.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 25 January 1986. The reporter is Alan McCullough.
