Protesters set up new camp at Coolock site earmarked for asylum seekers

Protesters gather at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock, north Dublin, on Tuesday, following plans to redevelop the disused warehouse to house asylum seekers. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Protesters have set up a makeshift campsite at the front of the north Dublin building where violent scenes had broken out on Monday.

The entrance to the former Crown Paints site in Coolock had been home to a 24-hour protest set up by the ‘Coolock Says No’ group. It had been blocking the entrance for a number of months and was being redeveloped to house asylum seekers.

The camp had been cleared by Monday morning, sparking an angry response from anti-immigrant protesters.

Criminal damage — including the firebombing of a digger and the theft and destruction of mattresses — sparked a day-long spree of public disorder, which saw gardaí deploying public order units in full riot gear.

Some 15 people appeared before a special sitting at Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday night, charged with public order offences in relation to the day's trouble.

On Tuesday, around 40 protesters returned to the site and set up another camp. They are continuing their demonstration over the opening of a centre for asylum seekers.

Protesters waved tricolours and cheered as cars drove by.

One man from the Ballina Says No group said he travelled from Mayo to support the Coolock Says No group.

“I’m here to give them a hand,” he said. “I think what they are doing is right, so I came here to give them a hand”.

As traffic returned to normal following the opening of the roads again, there was still a heavy presence of gardaí in the area.

A youngster throws a bottle towards gardaí during the stand-off with protesters after a number of fires were started at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock, Dublin, on Monday. Picture: PA

Taoiseach Simon Harris said the behaviour of the rioters in Coolock was “sheer thuggery”.

Speaking as he arrived at Government Buildings on Tuesday, Mr Harris said the riots were the actions of “a mob mentality” that resulted in the “hijacking of a situation".

“This is an issue of a relatively small number of people who think that they have a right to do whatever the hell they like to this country,” he said.