LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago
GARDAÍ ARRESTED 19 people as part of a policing operation in response to an anti-immigration protest in Dublin city centre.
In a statement, a garda spokesperson said that from early morning, 100 uniform gardaí were on-duty to facilitate protests, including one that was led from O’Connell Street to Leinster House, as well as one at Grafton Street.
However, in the course of the protests, gardaí were required to respond to a number of public order incidents, including one that occurred at Grafton Street at around 2:30pm.
Gardaí then implemented a graduated policing response, with enforcement “as a last resort”.
The garda spokesperson said that throughout the day, “gardaí engaged with protestors and directions were given to those that had gathered at O’Connell Bridge to disperse from the area within the hour”.
After protesters had moved from O’Connell Street to Leinster House and back again, they undertook a sit-down protest on O’Connel Bridge at around 5pm.
“This direction was not adhered to and two Garda Public Order Units were subsequently deployed,” said the garda spokesperson.
Several anti-immigration protesters were forcibly removed from O’Connell Bridge.
In total, 19 arrests were made and gardaí are not aware of any injuries at this time.
Uniform gardaí and Garda Public Order Units will remain on proactive patrol in Dublin City Centre for the remainder of this evening and investigations are ongoing.
There were road closures in place on O’Connell Bridge and the surrounding rounds as a result of the protest, but all roads have all since reopened and traffic is moving.
Dublin Bus services had experienced “major delays” and there was also disruption to the Luas green line but it is now back up and running.
The protesters gathered outside the GPO on O’Connell Street earlier this afternoon at around 2pm.
The anti-immigration demonstration included people carrying Irish tricolour flags, and banners reading “Erin Go Bragh” and “You’ll Never Beat the Irish”.
“We should be like Germany, close the borders,” one protester said.
The group broke out in chants of “Whose streets? Our streets” and “Get them out, get them out”.
The anti-immigration protesters then walked through Dublin city towards the Dáil.
They assembled halfway down Molesworth Street facing Leinster House, with Garda barriers preventing them getting close to the gates of the parliament building.
More than a hundred anti-racism counter-demonstrators gathered close by, at the junction of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street.
Participants were loudly chanting “far right loyalists, get off our streets”.
Dozens of gardaí were in the area between the demonstrations to ensure rival protesters are kept apart.
Rival anti-immigration and anti-racism protesters then dispersed from the area around the Dáil, with both groups setting off in the direction of O’Connell Street.
The anti-immigration protesters then staged a sit down protest on O’Connell Bridge.
Several anti-immigration protesters were then forcibly removed from O’Connell Bridge as Garda Public Order Units mounted an operation to clear the thoroughfare.
Gardaí on loud hailers ordered demonstrators to leave the bridge before moving in to disperse the protest.
A number of protesters were removed and placed in Garda vans amid angry scenes.
Hundreds of members of the public gathered to watch as the dispersal operation was mounted.
At around 5pm, the bridge was then cleared of protesters, who moved further up O’Connell Street and the crowd later dispersed.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
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