AN RTÉ DOCUMENTARY about anti-immigration protests has revealed drones were used to monitor asylum seekers staying at a site in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow.

RTÉ Investigates: Inside the Protests, which aired last night, showed new footage from multiple demonstrations against asylum accommodation in Dublin and Wicklow.

One of the sites, River Lodge in Newtownmountkennedy, was the scene of violent protests in April when Garda vehicles were damaged and members of the force said they “came under attack” from demonstrators.

During the documentary, John Larkin, a local representative who unsuccessfully stood in the local elections in May and who represented the protesters, told RTÉ that drones had been deployed to monitor River Lodge while asylum seekers were staying there.

“We have drones… the drones were coming in and out, [and] you couldn’t see many up there,” he said.

“It’s not suitable. You’ve seen it yourself. It’s like a prison, isn’t it?”

The documentary showcased several incidents in which asylum seekers, journalists, activists, and Gardaí were abused and harassed by anti-immigrant protesters.

At one point, footage from a protest near River Lodge showed documentary maker Barry O’Kelly being pushed repeatedly and having his camera slapped away by a demonstrator just metres away from a line of Gardaí.

Another protester at the same demonstration was shown abusing O’Kelly, calling him “a dirty fucking traitor scumbag”, while asylum seekers entering the site were later shown being harassed by protesters telling them to “go” and “we don’t fucking want you”.

A spokesperson for the Newtown Together group told O’Kelly how those helping asylum seekers were afraid to speak out against the protesters or identify themselves for fear of also being harassed.

“Nobody has identified themselves for fear of intimidation. There is people being photographed and filmed, being followed,” the spokesperson said.

The documentary also showcased events at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock on 15 July, when attempts to house asylum seekers at the site exploded into rioting.

The site entrance had been blocked for more than 100 days by protesters, but was dismantled by Gardaí in the early hours of the morning, prompting violent scenes throughout the day that followed.

The documentary showed how the Garda public order unit left the site after it was cleared in the early hours of the morning and that security guards were left alone to face racial abuse, intimidation and violence at the hands of protesters.

One man told the security staff: “I’m going to find out where each and every one of youse live. Don’t think we won’t find you, cause we fucking will. I’ve found worse c***s than you.”

Another man said: “You’ll get fucking shot here.” Making a gesture of a gun pointed to his head, he said: “Bang, bang. That’s what happens.”

At one point a woman was filmed repeatedly using the n-word about men who had been hired to provide security at the site after the blockade was dismantled.

Later on, as the site came under attack, a security guard was shown being hit in the head with a large pole, and had to be taken away in an ambulance after going in and out of consciousness before paramedics arrived.

As crowds grew outside the former factory, security and staff at the Coolock site were filmed continuously calling Gardaí and emergency services for help.

Several calls were ignored before a small number of Gardaí policed the street outside, as protesters continued to wander around the site.

Hours after calls were first made, the Garda public order unit returned to clear the violence, but did not restore order in the area until the early evening.

In a statement to RTÉ Investigates, Gardaí said the policing operation in Coolock was “centred on a graduated approach and a strong tradition of policing by consent”.

It said over 200 members were deployed during the operation and a full investigation is underway into the events on the day.