Gardai respond to anti-migrant protest in Dublin

Public order gardai responded to an anti-migrant protest outside the International Protection Office in Dublin – a day after a migrant camp was dismantled and set alight.

On Saturday, protesters marched from the Customs House, where hundreds of people gathered for a rally at 2pm against hate speech legislation currently before the Oireachtas.

Arriving just after 4pm, dozens of protesters carried Irish flags and banners as they walked through the camp, chanting and exchanging words with migrants.

There was pushing between some demonstrators and gardai.

Gardai formed a line in the roadway and were faced by shouting and swearing protesters.

The protesters later shouted at gardai and called on them to remove the tents before leaving at about 5.15pm.

Saturday’s protest follows the arrest of a man during a demonstration in Dublin on Friday, when a different nearby migrant camp was dismantled and later set alight.

A protest against the camp took place in the area around Sandwith Street on Friday evening and involved several groups, including counter-protesters.

Public order gardai attended those demonstrations too.

Wooden pallets and other materials from the camp were later set alight in the laneway but gardai said no one was present at that time and no one was hurt.

Debris from the camp and fire remained in the laneway on Saturday.

A pot of uneaten pasta and a plate were also visible, alongside artwork, graffiti in Arabic and a banner saying “resist against racist harassment”.

The camp was beside a derelict block of flats.