THE GARDA ASSISTANT Commissioner was questioned on the possibility of introducing protest “exclusion zones” today, as councillors voiced concerns over “intimidating behaviour” at demonstrations in Dublin city. 

The amount of protests having to be policed in the capital has shot up this month, as Gardaí have policed 64 demonstrations in Dublin, compared to 307 protests in all of last year, according to a confidential report presented to members of the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee (DCJPC). 

Comparatively, 21 demonstrations were policed in Dublin in 2022. The month that saw the highest number of protests last year was March, when 45 demonstrations were policed in the Dublin area. 

The report, which was authored by Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, revealed a steep increase in the number of planned and impromptu demonstrations being held. 

At the DCJPC meeting today, Willis said that policing anti-asylum seeker demonstrations has become a “significant challenge” for Gardaí. 

Dublin Central councillor Joe Costello asked Willis if the Gardaí would be in support of the introduction of “exclusion zones” that would bar protestors outside of residential properties, or buildings where asylum seekers live. 

Willis stated that people have a right to protest in public protests, and that current legislation wouldn’t allow for people to be barred from protesting outside of people’s homes as Costello suggested. 

“Our function is to facilitate peaceful protests, to prevent injury and to protect life,” she said. 

Willis added that she understood concerns over individuals “over-stepping the mark” at protests. 

The Assistant Commissioner said that when Gardaí witness threatening behaviour or abusive language at anti-asylum seeker protests they may not necessarily step in at the time in order to “avoid a riot”, but that in many cases they will “knock on people’s doors” at a later date. 

“We certainly have investigations commenced in a number of divisions looking into the behaviour that, in any reasonable person’s view, could not be described as ‘peaceful’, we have to liaise with the DPP, because there is a very fine line between peaceful protests and the behaviour that is manifesting”. 

Willis added that the demonstrations that have taken place in Dublin this month have been a significant challenge in terms of policing and disruption to traffic, but that the priority for the Gardaí will continue to be upholding the rights of all involved, even if those are “competing rights”. 

Willis also said that Gardaí are in touch with stakeholders with regards to the knock-on effects of demonstrations, adding that in future they may start taking more pre-emptive action to warn people of possible traffic disruption in advance of planned protests via social media. 

Ballyfermot and Drimnagh based councillor Daithí Doolan said that he shared Costello’s concerns about the “intimidation and threatening behaviour” that is occurring at anti-asylum seeker protests outside of residential properties. 

“It wouldn’t be considered a protest if I went to my neighbour’s house and threatened to burn them out of it, and that is the level of threat that we are now seeing at these rallies. 

“We need to be very careful because the right to protest has to be protected, for example if you ban protests outside of schools that could affect picketing teachers, but in the same breath, what we are seeing are not ordinary protests.

“The far-right aren’t marching to the Dáil, they are targeting places where vulnerable asylum seekers live, and now where politicians live, so it is a sinister situation,” Doolan said.