There were chaotic and unprecedented scenes at the Court of Appeal this afternoon as teacher Enoch Burke and five members of his family were forcibly removed from the courtroom by gardaí.
One person who was arrested during the incident has been charged with threatening and abusive behaviour at Dublin District Court.
The events unfolded as the court rejected Mr Burke's appeal against injunctions granted by the High Court last year directing him not to trespass at Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.
Mr Burke was in court with his parents Sean and Martina and his siblings, sister Ammi and brothers, Isaac and Simeon.
As it became clear that the court was ruling against him, Ammi Burke interrupted the appeal court President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, and began shouting about her brother’s constitutional rights.
The judge told her to sit down and asked gardaí to remove her from the courtroom, but she continued to shout at the three judges and was joined by other family members. Martina Burke told the judges they were "bowing before the altar of transgenderism".
The three appeal court judges left the courtroom for a short time.
When they returned the judge said he would continue reading the judgment as they were concerned that justice should be seen to be administered in public.
However, after the judges suggested that one part of Mr Burke’s case was "an exercise in creating soundbites", they were again interrupted by the family.
Mr Burke said the judge’s remarks were a "disgrace".
After the judges had left the bench for a second time, Ammi Burke was dragged from the courtroom by gardaí.
There were scuffles, struggles and chaotic scenes as other members of the Burke family tried to resist attempts by gardaí to remove them.
Enoch Burke shouted "Leave my father alone" and called gardaí "thugs".
Enoch and his brother Isaac were restrained by two other gardaí.
Sean and Martina Burke were then removed from court after further struggles and scuffles, followed by Enoch and lastly Isaac.
Isaac Burke accused the gardaí of dragging two elderly people out of court before sitting on the floor and being dragged out himself.
Journalists and transition year students who were in court had to move out of the way as the scuffles continued all around them.
Members of the Burke family eventually left the Four Courts and walked around the corner to the Bridewell Garda Station.
Journalists later received copies of the interrupted ruling, in which all of Mr Burke's challenges to the injunctions were dismissed.
