16 people charged after anti-immigration protest in Dublin

Dublin City Centre Police have arrested a total of 22 people during a police operation at the same location, it was announced today, Friday 20 September. The operation is part of a wider crackdown on maintaining public order.

Among those arrested were 14 adult men and eight adult women aged 20 to 60.

Sixteen people were charged, mainly with disturbing public order, as well as assault, criminal damage and possession of a knife.

Of those arrested, one man has already heard the charges and appeared in court.

The three men are due to appear before Dublin District Court this morning, Friday 20th September, at No. 1 Criminal Court, at 10.30am.

Thirteen other people were charged and released, with court hearings scheduled in the coming weeks.

Other persons will be treated in accordance with the Adult Caution procedure.

On Thursday evening, An Garda Síochána said 100 uniformed Gardaí had been on duty since early this morning to facilitate the protests, including one that took place from O’Connell St to Leinster House on Kildare Street, and one on Grafton St. The operation was co-ordinated from the central Garda Control Room and led by the Chief Inspector.

Gardaí responded to a number of public order incidents during the protests, including an incident that occurred on Grafton Street at around 2.30pm.

“To ensure the safety of all protesters and the general public, Gardaí have implemented a graduated policing response, taking into account relevant legislation and treating enforcement as a last resort,” police said in a statement on Thursday.

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September 19, 2024: Gardai and Public Order Unit members maintain peace as anti-racism and anti-immigration protesters gather at the intersection of Grafton Street and Nassau Street. (RollingNews.ie)

Gardaí have been speaking to protesters throughout the day, police added, and those who had gathered on O’Connell Bridge were ordered to leave the area within the hour.

However, this was not followed and two public order police units were deployed, An Garda Síochána said.

Gardaí initially said 19 people had been arrested on Thursday but updated that figure to 22 on Friday.

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September 19, 2024: Members of An Garda Síochána place a man in a Garda van on O’Connell Street. (RollingNews.ie)

Judging by public posts on social media, Thursday’s protest was organised by a group calling itself “Citizen’s of Éire” in late August. Promoting the march, one person wrote on social media: “We need 100,000 citizens (sic) to dissolve the Dáil.”

According to RTÉ News, several hundred people took part in Thursday’s anti-immigration protest.

The Irish Times reports that Kildare councillor Tom McDonnell and unsuccessful local election candidates Ben Garrigan and Michelle Keane were among those who addressed anti-immigration protesters on Molesworth Street. Hermann Kelly, leader of the Irish Freedom Party (IFP), was also present.

People carried Irish tricolours, banners reading “Erin Go Bragh” and flags with the slogan “You will never beat the Irish”, the PA news agency reports.

The group broke out in chants of “Irish Lives Matter”, “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Get them out, get them out.”

Anti-immigration protesters stage protest in Dublin city centre amid heightened security. An anti-racism protest also takes place in the capital, with Garda public order units on duty in the city centre. #ProtestinDublin #Anti-immigration #Antiracism #PublicOrder photo: twitter.com/oDzJ3B4T72

— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) September 19, 2024

A counter-protest was held on Thursday by the group United Against Racism, which said it would not accept far-right groups marching through Dublin City Centre “spreading hate and making migrants and people of colour feel unsafe on our streets”.

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September 19, 2024: Scenes from the counter-protest in Dublin. (RollingNews.ie)

Announcing its counter-protest last week, the group added: “In Dundalk and Belfast we have seen the far right thrown out of their venues by mass mobilisation from local communities who have made it clear they are not welcome.

“It’s time we did the same in Dublin.”