East Wall locals have accused “the media and politicians in the Dáil” of “whipping up hatred against ordinary people who are exercising their right to peacefully protest”, after a car drove into protesters in the north inner city yesterday evening.
The East Wall Says No group said those who used had “deliberately stoked up hated against ordinary people with legitimate concerns on immigration, should now take responsibility for their actions.”
At approximately 7.30pm yesterday a car struck a local man who was participating in the regular protest organised by people in East Wall who say that a migrant centre was opened in the area without consultation.
Those protesting against the government’s handling of the migration crisis also say that they are unhappy and concerned with large numbers of “unvetted migrants” coming into the area.
A video from the scene shows the horrified reaction of local people as the car hits the protester. An ambulance brought the injured party to hospital and Gardai on the scene arrested the driver of the car. It is reported that he is being questioned in relation to alleged endangerment while driving.
The driver was recognised by those on the scene as an opponent of the immigration protests – and had attempted to disrupt protests at East Wall and elsewhere by shouting abuse through a microphone as describing the protesters as “racists”.
#Eastwall #Ireland #MakeIrelandSafeAgain #Irelandisfull Moment the vehicle ploughed through the protestors at the five lamps junction . Shocking stuff. Apparently same guy videod earlier with loudspeaker calling people racist 👇 pic.twitter.com/LNIbXJ89Ze
— Teach Gruama (@Bleakhouse12) February 15, 2023
Protesters from East Wall have blocked traffic in the city centre on a regular basis since last November, with other local groups holding similar protests across the city.
The protests have spread to many other parts of the country, and spokesman Malachy Steenson said that it was a grassroots movement that has sprung up because the government “refused to listen to ordinary people.”
He said that the attempts to characterise the protesters as “far-right” and “racist” were “deliberate tactics” and “absolutely untrue”. He also said that the protesters were now experiencing violence being used against them by actors who had been “whipped up” by others.
“The media and politicians in the Dáil and the NGOs are whipping up hatred against ordinary people,” he said. “And we are now seeing a third incident of a car driving at or through the protesters.”
“Someone could have been killed last night, yet the media never call the TDs to account for demonising ordinary people, in fact the media is part of it,” he told Gript.
He said that the East Wall group would not be deterred by the alleged attack.
“We are fighting for the survival of our communities and our nation,” he said. “All our protests are peaceful, and we have every right to block roads – we are forced to do so when the government refuses to listen and insists that already stretched communities must take additional burdens that affluent areas are not expected to shoulder.”
#Eastwall #Ireland #MakeIrelandSafeAgain #Irelandisfull marching again pic.twitter.com/ctZ5arpAx8
— Teach Gruama (@Bleakhouse12) February 15, 2023
Journalist Karl Deeter had been on the scene at East Wall earlier.
Held up again by #Eastwall protests, got out and spoke to the people at it. One was an immigrant, lots of concerned mothers and fathers with kids in tow. I didn't encounter any overt racists but did hear worried parents who feel voiceless. pic.twitter.com/sHtZZ3dHyf
— karldeeter (@karldeeter) February 15, 2023
Yesterday a poll for VMTV with Red C found that 83pc of those surveyed believe Ireland does not have the services to cater for the current number of people claiming asylum in the country.
This rose to 89pc for those aged over 55, and was strongest among people living in Dublin.
It also found that almost two-thirds of Irish people say the country should not continue to take in an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees.
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