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Sep 4th, 2010 | BBC Dublin
Tony Blair pelted with eggs at book signing in Dublin
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Activists clashed with Irish police as they tried to push down a security barrier outside the bookshop
Eggs and shoes have been thrown at the former prime minister Tony Blair as he attended a book signing in Dublin.
It happened as he arrived at Easons on O’Connell Street in the city to sign copies of his autobiography.
The missiles, which were thrown by anti-war protesters, did not hit Mr Blair.
Three people were arrested as activists clashed with Irish police at a security barrier outside the bookshop.
Around 200 protesters demonstrated at Mr Blair’s role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on one side of the street on Saturday morning.
Analysis
Few places in the world can have witnessed such a large security operation for a mere book-signing.
The main street in Dublin city centre was closed for four hours and a ring of steel erected around Easons bookshop to accommodate Tony Blair and his fountain pen.
Most Dubliners looked on in disbelief.
Many wondered about the security bill, at a time when Ireland’s crippled economy needs every euro it can get.
The Blair supporters looking for a signed book were less vocal than the demonstrators – but they easily outnumbered them, by at least three to one.
The former British prime minister won the popularity contest. But it came at a price.
On the other side, more than 300 people gathered to get a copy of his book signed.
It was Mr Blair’s first book-signing since the publication of his autobiography.
There was a large police presence and O’Connell Street was closed to traffic.
‘Stretched the truth’Groups represented at the demonstration included the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Coalition and the 32-County Sovereignty Movement.
Richard Boyd-Barrett, of the Irish Anti-War Movement, accused Mr Blair of making “blood money” from the memoirs.
Mr Blair has said he would hand over the reported £4m advance payment for the book plus all royalties to the Royal British Legion.
His memoirs detail his accounts of life in Downing Street, the Iraq war, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America and Princess Diana’s death.
He also wrote about concerns over the amount he was drinking and of his rift with his successor Gordon Brown.
One of the chapters also deals with his efforts to secure peace in Northern Ireland and his relationships with the key political players.
He admitted that he often stretched the truth past breaking point to get agreement during the peace process and he admits that he took horrendous chances with the political parties.
His book, ‘A Journey’ has already become Waterstone’s fastest-selling autobiography ever and shot to the top of Amazon’s best-seller list.