Councillors alarmed anti-migrant protests 'getting nastier'

Gardaí investigating nine arson attacks on accommodation centres in Dublin in the last year say they have identified suspects for six of them, with one charge currently before the courts.

Gardaí investigating nine arson attacks on accommodation centres in Dublin in the last year say they have identified suspects for six of them, with one charge currently before the courts.

The Garda chief for Dublin said these incidents were all isolated and localised, with no apparent connection.

Garda assistant commissioner Angela Willis told the Dublin Joint Policing Committee they were dealing with any criminality surrounding anti-immigration protests, pointing out 54 people were arrested in 2023 and 15 already this year.

A number of councillors expressed serious concern at the meeting that the anti-immigration protests were “heating up” and getting “nastier and nastier” and questioned what the Garda plan was to deal with it.

Ms Willis acknowledged the concerns of councillors and said many anti-migrant protests were “very distasteful”.

She said they were conducting a criminal investigation in relation to a person injured on Sunday at a large rally in Coolock, north Dublin, outside a mooted asylum accommodation centre, which she said attracted up to 1,000 people.

'Horrific'

Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan described the protest in Coolock as “horrific” and expressed alarm a convicted criminal was prominent in encouraging people to take part.

He questioned what seemed to be a “hands-off approach” by gardaí and did not accept the arson attacks were not connected, saying political actors were “fanning the flames” behind the scenes.

Mr Doolan called for a Garda strategy to “undermine these people and shut them down”.

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Conway said the protests were “getting nastier and nastier”. 

She said young people, like at the Coolock protest, think the demonstrations are “great craic” and are going around on their bikes saying “horrendous” things about immigrants.

Committee chair Tara Deacy of the Social Democrats said the “temperature seems to be heating up” by the week and said community representatives had told her of their “frustration and fear” over the perceived lack of Garda action.

Ms Willis said there were "legal obligations" on gardaí to facilitate peaceful protests and accept a certain level of disruption and the expression of opinions people did not like.

She accepted criminals might be at demonstrations and might even encourage others to engage but said this was not an offence. She said unless a criminal offence was committed their “hands are tied”.

Ms Willis said many of the protests were “very distasteful” and shared the concerns of Cllr Conroy regarding young people at the events.

“Young people are being used and emboldened by adults spreading all this hatred,” she said.

Arrests

But she said 54 arrests were carried out last year and 15 so far this year.

Ms Willis said the protests “can turn in seconds” from being peaceful to a riot.

She confirmed one person was injured at the Coolock protests on Sunday night by someone in the crowd and said a criminal investigation was under way.

Ms Willis said “keyboard warriors spreading disinformation” was a real challenge to investigate as the digital evidence was often held abroad and a “significant legal process” was involved in getting it.