Local people who had mounted a blockade at the gates of a proposed migrant centre in Santry, say that they are “distraught” and “fearful” after Gardai swooped on the protest last night and forced three busloads of arrivals through into the commercial unit.
A video of the scene shows women in tears after Gardai came “tearing up” to the protest at around 1.30 am, catching the protesters by surprise according to those present.
“This is desperate, what you are doing to us,” one woman is heard saying. “Do you know what you are doing to this community, do you know what you are doing to us.”
Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “we need a place for people to stay and everyone has the right to shelter no matter who they are or where they’ve come from
One of the local woman, Janet Murphy, said that she felt the timing of the Garda action was planned for that hour of the night because minimal numbers would be present at that time even though the protest was continuing around the clock.
“We had built a relationship with the Gardai, or so we thought,” she said. “We thought they understood our concerns, its really upsetting.”
“There are people just in tears here in morning, a lot of older people, a lot of pensioners. The Gardai just came in and turned us over. We are just distraught over this. ”
“They came tearing into where we were and about 30 Gardaí jumped out of vans. One of them came running by me saying “It’s on. Go, go, go.” And then they went to the car park gate and started breaking up the gazebo and throwing our things around.”
A broken gazebo can be seen in the video of the Garda action as can large numbers of Gardaí blocking locals as busses are driven into the estate.
“It was terrible, all the women were crying,” Ms Murphy said. “We put our heart and soul into this. We wanted answers, we want to know who is being sent to live with us. All we got was the Gardai forcing the busses in.”
“People are coming to the country without a passport, we don’t even know who they are and they are being brought to working class areas and we are expected just to accept that.”
“We don’t know who is coming in, and we are fearful for our safety,” she said. “But the Gardai are just doing what they are told.”
She said that accusations of locals being ‘far-right’ was nonsense, and being used to demonise people. “The government has no respect for working class people,” she said, adding that Dessie Ellis of Sinn Féin had done “nothing to help”.
“A lot of people won’t be voting for any of those parties because of what’s happening,” she said. “Leo Varadkar says ‘refugees are welcome’ but there’s not 300 men living in a unit near him in Castleknock.”
Locals had been organising a protest against plans to move 300 migrants into a commercial unit in Santry, saying they had not been consulted on the plans, that local services and resources were already squeezed, and that they had safety fears in regard to the large numbers who were being housed.
The Turnapin Lane and Royal Oak communities adjacent to the migrant centre site said that their concerns were being ignored and that they felt protest was the only option left open to them.
Residents of Santry north county Dublin say they are afraid for the safety of their community after learning that 303 male asylum seekers are to be housed in a factory shed in the area. pic.twitter.com/s91x2OqiuC
— gript (@griptmedia) May 19, 2023
Acting Minister for Justice Simon Harris said earlier this week that blocking asylum-seekers from their accommodation was “abhorrent” and “despicable”.
However, locals say that that an action where a van was blocked was taken by was a separate grouping, and that residents had a right to peacefully protest.
This week, it was revealed that some 2,000 migrants who had arrived claiming asylum in Ireland had either false or no travel documents.
Despite claims that measures were being taken to prevent a repeat of the numbers arriving without identity in 2022 when in excess of 5,000 people were admitted to the asylum system despite having no such papers, the 2023 number would appear to be on the same trajectory.
The Garda Press Office said that “An Garda Síochána continues to support the International Protection Office, Government Departments and NGOs in providing Irelands International obligations to International Protection applicants.”
“There is a constitutional right to the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, subject to statutory provisions.”
“An Garda Síochána respects the right for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights.”
“Local Gardaí continue to maintain a presence at the location in Santry, Dublin 9 and continue to engage with all parties present. An Garda Síochána continue to have a proportionate response to a demonstration at this location but also continue to facilitate access to and from the premises.”
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