Clashes for third day as anti-asylum protesters target city centre encampment

It is the third say of clashes at such camps, following confrontations at a nearby smaller encampment of asylum seekers on Thursday and Friday.

Hundreds of protesters had attended a demonstration at Custom House Quay after lunch today opposing forthcoming hate speech laws. Among those in attendance were members of right-wing groups including the Irish Freedom Party, which also opposes asylum seekers.

Afterwards, a small group broke away and marched towards an international protection office near Mount Street, where dozens of tents are lined up on the street outside and in an adjacent laneway.

As protesters marched through the laneway there was an angry clash with a man staying in one of the tents, and Gardaí had to intervene.

The protesters eventually returned to the front of the international protection office and were involved in hostile confrontations with gardaí, before the crowd eventually dissipated.

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit and seven garda vehicles were also called in to support gardaí who had been observing the march from the Custom House.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today condemned the violent scenes at a makeshift camp for asylum seekers in Dublin city centre on Friday night.

The encampment was destroyed and partially burnt after anti-immigrant protesters had earlier clashed with left-wing counterdemonstrators who tried to prevent them from gaining access to the camp in the Pearse Street area.

There are currently several hundred homeless asylum seekers sleeping rough in Dublin after the State ran out of space to accommodate them.

A tented encampment on Mount Street is now being occupied by several dozen asylum seekers, while a smaller number had been staying nearby in a laneway off nearby Upper Sandwith Street, which had been targeted by anti-immigrant activists on Thursday and Friday evening.

There were clashes between anti- and pro-immigrant demonstrators on both Thursday and Friday.

Separately, a rally by right-wing groups opposing incoming hate speech laws, including the Irish Freedom Party, which also opposes asylum seekers, is taking place this afternoon in Dublin.

Mr Varadkar described the protests that took place on Friday night as "malign opportunism" that cannot be tolerated, in a statement issued to Independent.ie on Saturday.

“I condemn this violence unreservedly. It is malign opportunism. A tiny minority of people are clearly determined to make capital out of a difficult situation. The gardaí are carrying out an investigation. We cannot tolerate actions such as this," Mr Varadkar said.

There was a significant garda presence in place to police the situation which lasted several hours, with one man being arrested.

Members of An Garda Síochána formed a line and stood between the two groups in an attempt to separate them, and they eventually dispersed.

However, video later emerged online purporting to show a group of Irish men dismantling the makeshift shelters that had been used by the asylum seekers.

Emergency services were also alerted to a fire at the site.

A garda spokesperson said as the groups involved dispersed, “some furniture and wooden pallets were set alight in a nearby lane way”.

“No one was injured,” the spokesperson said.

A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested under the Public Order Act during the demonstration.

It is understood that the man was arrested after he “refuse to move along” and refused to give gardai his name when asked.

He has since been charged to appear before Dublin District Court later this month.

On Twitter, Justice Minister Simon Harris said: "Utterly appalling & unacceptable scenes in Sandwith Street last night. Everyone in this country has a right to be safe. The right to protest is never a right to endanger or intimidate."

A spokesperson for the Department of Equality and Integration said it is working “intensively” to secure further accommodation.

“The Department deplores any violent incidents or intimidation towards international protection applicants, and officials are liaising with An Garda Siochána on the matter,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department hopes to deliver significant capacity in the coming weeks to alleviate the shortages being experienced presently. In the meantime, work is also ongoing to increase support for those who are without accommodation.”

There had been a protest called against the presence of the refugees camping at the back of the derelict St Andrew’s Court flats between Pearse Street and Holles Street.

Far-right activists do not want the refugees in the area and along with some local people have been displaying “anti-immigration hostility and intimidation” in recent days towards the asylum seekers, who have nowhere to go.

It is believed around 10 people were living at the makeshift camp.

It is understood that gardai were “well aware” of the planned protests on Friday and a major policing plan was in place.

Around 150 people were involved in protesting, it is understood.

Sources say that gardaí were monitoring social media and were prepared for the demonstration, which was widely discussed online ahead of time.

A source said local people had been “whipped up” by anti-immigration activists, including members of the far right.

“Some local people were infiltrated from elements who don’t live anywhere near here, to go out and protest against these people and even intimidate them and display violence,” the source said.

“In fairness to these refugees, they have nowhere to go because there is no accommodation being provided for them. It is very unfortunate situation. Gardai were well aware that there would be a protest and a policing plan was already in place, which swung into action.”

A video posted to social media appeared to show the entire encampment destroyed. A post on the Ireland Against Fascism feed read: “The end result of the destruction of the asylum seekers encampment tonight on Sandwith Street, Dublin 2.”