GARDA COMMISSIONER DREW Harris has said individual members of An Garda Síochána have been subjected to targeted online threats and that the matter is currently being investigated. 

“A point I would like to emphasise, beyond what we’ve spoken about already, is that Garda members are being threatened online, and we take that very seriously,” Harris said. 

“And obviously we will investigate that and report to the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) as appropriate, because there’s very unsavoury things being said about individual Garda members online and that would be subject to investigation.” 

Harris was speaking today at a meeting between senior Garda staff and the Policing Authority following the chaotic scenes that took place during a protest at the site of the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock in Dublin last week. 

The site has been selected as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers and a protest there escalated into violence, with projectiles thrown, fires lit and three gardaí injured – one of whom had to be taken to hospital.  

Two public order units were deployed, amounting to 50 gardaí, and 31 arrests have been made as a result of the incident, Harris and his staff confirmed at today’s meeting. 

Overall, the Commissioner praised the efforts of gardaí, especially those in regular uniform who were policing the protest prior to the arrival of their heavily equipped Public Order colleagues. 

Some of those uniformed gardaí were new to the force and Harris said he had met with some of them following the events of last week, which began on Monday, 15 July. 

Harris was asked about the three-hour gap between the Public Order Units being summoned and their arrival and he explained that the time was needed for those gardaí to drop what they were doing, get their gear and report to the Coolock Garda Station.

“The Monday morning was difficult for us,” Harris told the Policing Authority while praising what he described as successful de-escalation efforts by those uniformed gardaí who were already at the scene. 

Harris was asked if there was a need for a standing Public Order Unit to be maintained. 

He was wary about endorsing such a move and stressed that he and Garda representative associations are firmly of the view that a community policing model is the preferred overall approach in Ireland. 

Harris said that “in other jurisdictions, near and far”, standing Public Order units can often become “a lightning rod” and he is of the opinion that Ireland’s “almost unique” policing ethos should be maintained. 

When it comes to preparedness for protests that could potentially turn violent, Harris hinted that more notice of the movement of workers onto the site would have helped gardaí to allocate resources. 

He said there are lessons to be learned by An Garda Síochána “and other departments” following the scenes in Coolock. 

Harris and his senior staff sought to emphasise the importance of allowing citizens to assemble and protest peacefully, and that the majority of protests take place without incident or arrests. They also made clear though that criminal damage and assault is unacceptable. 

They said that many of those at the protest were members of the local community who had a right to voice concerns about the introduction of the asylum seeker centre, but also noted that like some other similar incidents, the protests had been “infiltrated” by people with “ulterior motives”.

“Protest is a normal activity in a democratic society,” Harris said. 

Assistant Commissioner for the North West region, Clíona Richardson said: “You do have people that have ulterior motives. You have to take everything into consideration”

She said gardaí were “very mindful that there are other actors” whose intention is “to cause trouble”. 

“Undoubtedly there are people driven by prejudice and extremism,” Harris said, adding that genuine concerns are better resolved through dialogue.