Coolock: Protests over housing of asylum seekers hijacked by thugs, says Taoiseach

Protests over asylum seekers being housed at a site in Dublin were “hijacked” by thugs, the Taoiseach has said.

Violence erupted across parts of north Dublin after clashes between gardaí and rioters, which led to the arrest of 19 people.

Gardaí came under sustained attack at a disused factory designated as accommodation for asylum seekers in Coolock on Monday.

The scenes at the former Crown Paints factory have been widely condemned.

Fifteen people – 13 men and two women – appeared before a late-night sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday, charged with a range of public order offences.

Four others are to appear in court on Tuesday.

A number of Garda cars were damaged during the disturbances and public order officers used incapacitant spray on anti-immigration protesters who threw missiles at them.

Videos posted on social media showed machinery and materials had been set on fire at the site.

The violent clashes led to a security guard requiring hospital treatment.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said those engaged in the riots are not “protesters”.

He added: “I am somewhat perplexed that this morning that I still hear in media and political discourse a reference to protesters.

“To be clear, when you decide to use a petrol bomb, you lost your right to be called a protester.

“I’m not quite sure why we have decided to, in any manner or means, legitimatise in any way, shape or form the actions of people who engaged in sheer thuggery yesterday evening and try to harm the men and women of An Garda Siochána, disrupt a community and cause utter chaos.

“I want to pay respect to the people of Coolock, people who called for calm, and indeed people who cleaned up after others came to their community to cause chaos.

“Everybody knew this facility was going to be used to provide shelter for migrants. People can agree or disagree, but no amount of community engagement is required to tell somebody not to throw a brick, not to set a digger on fire, not to harm a security guard, not to put the men and women of An Garda Siochána in danger.

“I’ve had it up to here with this whataboutery.

“We will continue to communicate better with communities, good decent people across the country who want to talk about legitimate issues. There is such a role for that.

“What we saw last night was such a distance away from a question about community engagement, it was sheer thuggery and it should be called out as such.

“I was particularly pleased to see the benefit of the body-cams that Government has now provided the gardaí with.

“This is not protest or an issue of community engagement. This is an issue of a relatively small number of people who think they have a right to do whatever the hell they like in this country, who showed disdain for the laws of our land, disdain for the men and women for An Garda Siochána.

“It was the hijacking of a situation by a group of people who engaged in utter thuggery and it’s not reflecting any means of the community of Coolock.”

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the violence was “completely unacceptable” and will not be tolerated.

Speaking in Dublin, she said: “Gardaí responded quickly and in force and I want to commend members of An Garda Siochána for the way in which they did respond.

“It is completely unacceptable that any person that they will be attacked when going about their business.

“Significant arrests were made, 15 men and women were before the courts and I expect that there will be more arrests later today.

“Importantly as well, body cameras were used yesterday and will be part of the evidence in the coming weeks and months.

“This is not a legitimate protest. This is criminal behaviour and activity and it will be treated as such.”

The Fine Gael minister said she believes gardaí responded in the most “adequate way possible”.

She added: “They responded quickly and significant arrests were made.

“It is unacceptable that gardaí would be targeted in the way that they were and, again, I want to commend them for the way in which they responded.”

Speaking in Dublin, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “This has been a difficult policing day for us in terms of dealing with serious public disorder centred on the Crown Paints factory.

“What we saw was really unacceptable.”