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Newspaper editors everywhere are gnashing their teeth to find that two politicians have been put in charge of being called president and minister (or special envoy or whatever) for foreign affairs of the EU. This Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton – can they even be googled? What’s to cut and paste here? Has either of them started a war? It’s most inconsiderate of whoever makes these decisions to choose two unknowns. Journalists will now have to do some research and write about EU policies – until such time, of course, that they have dug up some dirt on Herman Von Rumpy-pumpy and “Iron” (inevitably) Kate.

The (TV) media in Poland has been getting very exercised about the A1HN1 flu lately. It’s running wild in Ukraine. The government here hasn’t bought enough vaccination shots. Somebody died in Poznań but we’re not exactly sure of what. The human rights ombudsman is threatening to take the government to court if jabs are not provided, action taken etc. etc. Thank God for the fourth estate!

One thing the TV is not so concerned about is the steady flow of profits from ads for snake oil cures for the common cold and the flu. These ads constantly encourage people with flu symptoms to pop another pill and go to work with their fellow citizens – which is exactly what you should not be doing if there is (is there?) an epidemic.

You know you’re getting old when something like this not only fails to move you but leaves you baffled, wondering why on earth anyone would want to subject themselves to it. Today’s Gazeta Wyborcza carries an ad for a night of advertisements in the cinema. That’s right: you go to the cinema and watch ads for a few (six!) hours. And it’s not free either! I can’t help the exclamation marks and italics. Imagine paying to watch six hours of advertisements!

Dublin, Ireland

There were violent scenes at Fitzgibbon Street this morning as members of the public forcibly ejected the gardai who had been staging a sit-in occupation in direct contravention of a High Court injunction directing them to vacate the station by 7 am. When the 45 police officers failed to comply a citizen squad armed with baseball bats and wearing helmets broke down the doors and stormed the building. Tear gas was used to flush out the protesting gardai who resisted bitterly. Two members of the citizen squad were treated for minor injuries. 43 of the protesters were hospitalised. Four are in critical condition.

Organisers reported no difficulty in finding volunteers to throw the recalcitrant police officers out.

Dublin, Ireland

Former gardai staging a sit-in occupation at the force’s Fitzgibbon Street station may risk prison after deciding to defy a High Court order to vacate the building. Mr Justice Michael Peart heard the 45 former police officers had been told by their union that they needed to obey the court order to vacate the premises. However, they decided by a unanimous vote to continue their protest, which began last Friday.

The mainly female gardai are in dispute with the state over redundancy payments. The minister say that he is prepared to talk to the workers if they vacate the premises. The judge gave the gardai until 7pm to comply with the court order but he was told by counsel for their union, John Nolan, that they rejected the legal advice to end their occupation.

When they failed to comply, the judge issued an order for attachment and directed that members of the public arrest any gardai in the police station and bring them before him at 2pm tomorrow. Mr Justice Peart said “every reasonable opportunity” was given to the gardai to comply with the order.

Mr Justice Peart today made the interim order an interlocutory injunction, pending the outcome of the full hearing of the action. He said there was “no question” that the actions of the defendants were unlawful. He was satisfied that the individuals were aware of the terms of the order and the consequences of being in breach of it. Seeking the injunction, Mark Connaughton, SC for the minister, said the defendants had no right to be on the property, were trespassing, and were blatantly in breach of a court order. Counsel said that the state wanted “the matter to be brought to an end.”

The station in Fitzgibbon Street had been due to close at the end of this month but management decided on Friday to close it which led the gardai to stage a sit-in. Earlier today about 15 people staged a rally outside the Fitzgibbon Street station in support of the rozzers. At the protest, Lord Mayor Emer Costello, who knows some of the gardai, said she found the situation heartbreaking for police and their families.