Far right attacks on gardaí 'are a threat to the State' — Micheál Martin

Screengrab from a video posted on Twitter following a clash between protesters and gardaí as a premises in Newtownmountkennedy Co Wicklow was set ablaze. 

Attacks on unarmed gardaí, growing far-right “militancy”, and calls to “overthrow” the Government represents a threat to the security of the State, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.

Echoing his warning, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said attacks on gardaí are “an attack on our democracy and our State”.

Garda sources have expressed concern that violence and intimidation could get worse, with one saying “dark forces” are trying to create division and conflict.

Senior officers were yesterday trying to “de-escalate” tensions at Trudder House in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, while ensuring there were enough public order units available if threats for further confrontation transpired.

It is thought public order units from other parts of the country including Cork were being sent to Wicklow and a water cannon truck in Dublin was positioned closer to the border with Wicklow if needed.

On Thursday, uniform gardaí had missiles thrown at them, an outhouse was set on fire, and garda vehicles were damaged.

The garda response, recorded by some protestors, was circulated widely online, generating outrage and disinformation within the online far-right community.

AGSI acting general secretary Ronan Clogher said one of their members was injured on Thursday and expressed concern that stand-offs with mobs were becoming more frequent. Picture: Conor McKeown

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said members are facing “increasingly angry mobs” who it said are “determined to usurp their role” as the police force.

Senior gardaí have said that high profile far-right agitators are becoming “more prominent” in the escalating violence and intimidation at anti-immigrant protests.

The Tánaiste said: “That threatens our democracy, in my view, and it threatens the way of life.” He said there was an “increasing level of viciousness and violence and lack of respect for the basic laws of the land”.

Mr Martin also said he was “very, very concerned about the type of language and the type of militancy that is emerging among some groups”.

He said: “Government in some quarters are being described as a ‘regime’ to be overthrown. We’re going to have to stand up to that.”

The Cabinet will discuss this issue in the coming days and see “if more needs to be done”, Mr Martin said.

AGSI acting general secretary Ronan Clogher said one of their members was injured on Thursday and expressed concern that the “escalating stand-offs” were becoming more frequent. He said: 

Members are facing increasingly angry mobs determined to usurp our role with smartphones in our face and live streamed on social media.

There are concerns that far-right individuals have circulated photographs online of some gardaí there on Thursday as well as other social media posts saying they were “at war” with the State.

One experienced garda source said: “It’s clear from what has been happening that dark forces are seeking to create division and conflict with authority.

“This is without doubt a significant threat to the State.

”Another senior source said gardaí were looking beyond “today and tomorrow” and examining if they were now facing a “long-term problem” as is seen in much of Europe, and whether there was a need for an “overarching Government strategy”.