AN ANTI-IMMIGRATION protest has taken place in Dublin City.
A large crowd gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in the north inner city this afternoon before marching down O’Connell Street and onto the Custom House where speeches were made.
Videos and photographs from the march show a large crowd marching down O’Connell Street holding a variety of placards and signs. The crowd were also holding Irish flags, and chanted ‘Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole’ at one point.
They also chanted “out, out, out” and “our streets”.
Protestors held signs saying “Ireland belongs to the Irish”, “Irish Civil Rights”, “Stop the WHO pandemic treaty”, “Mass deportations”, “Economic Migrants are not refugees” and “Irish Lives Matter”, among others.
Local groups from Coolock and Newtownmountkennedy – where protests have been staged recently against buildings being used to house international protection applicants – were also represented.
There were also placards referencing a “plantation” of Ireland.
Use of the word “plantation” in reference to buildings and campsites housing asylum seekers is commonly found among those in Ireland who adhere to the white nationalist ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory.
A number of far-right political parties and figures were also present, with protestors marching behind banners for the National Party and representatives from other parties addressing the crowd.
There was a large Garda presence visible also. A smaller anti-racism demonstration was held at the GPO, with gardaí ensuring rival groups were separated.
Migration has become one of the main issues facing Ireland and the rest of the EU member states ahead of the European elections in June, with a populist kickback in many countries in response to increased numbers entering the bloc seeking asylum.
There has been a significant increase in people coming to Ireland to seek international protection. There have also been widespread protests against buildings being converted into asylum seeker accommodation, and a number of arson attacks carried out.
The state has told arriving asylum seekers that they cannot house them, and hundreds have been living in tents as a result. Last week the Government cleared an encampment of asylum seekers that had been set up outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street, but many are no camping at the Grand Canal.
Last month, six people were arrested for public disorder offences, after three garda patrol cars were damaged and a fire was started at one point. Gardaí said they “came under attack” by people gathered at the site.
Separately, an anti-abortion demonstration took place in Dublin today, with crowds turning out to campaign against Ireland’s abortion laws.
EilIs Mulroy, of the Pro Life Campaign, addressed the event at Molesworth Street.
She said the campaign will be publishing a “comprehensive voter guide” in the coming weeks, which she contended “will serve as an invaluable guide to pro-life voters when deciding how to cast their vote in the upcoming elections”.
With reporting from Press Association
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say