Protestors who have maintained a presence outside a new IPAS development in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow over the last six weeks say they feel as if they “do not have a voice” anymore after what they described as “a large number of balaclava clad workers” being “forced” onto the site at 2am this morning.
In a statement issued to Gript, the protest group said:
“As most of the country and, indeed, parts of the world are aware, the people of Newtownmountkennedy have for the last 6 weeks been holding a peaceful protest at a proposed IPAS site near the village. The protesters were concerned that the site was wholly unsuitable for tented accommodation, that the resources of the village were already stretched and that the site itself was, according to the latest land registry documents, held in trust for the village for educational or medical use only.”
The Department of Integration intends to house approximately 160 male asylum seekers in military style tents on the grounds of River Lodge which in bygone years was used as a respite facility for traveller children.
“Last week the police public order unit forced balaclava-clad workers onto the site using aggressive and intimidating tactics. The protestors, and indeed the whole country, were outraged that our legitimate peaceful protest had been ignored and bullied out of the way by the government. As a result, the workers were withdrawn and a meeting had been scheduled for next Monday with the site developer and senior gardaí to try to resolve the situation.” they group said.
Last week Gript reported on the unfolding scenes from outside River Lodge.
Female protester says she was "manhandled" and "pushed" by Garda public order unit at 'Newtownmountkennedy Says No' protest. pic.twitter.com/Ma3MWCtekY
— gript (@griptmedia) April 15, 2024
The protestors say that this morning at 2am “a large contingent of local gardai, once again supported by the public order unit, forced a large number of balaclava clad workers and their equipment onto the site. The protestors remained calm in spite of this deliberate provocation.”
“This action shows the utter contempt and disregard minister O’Gorman and the government have for the people of Newtown and the Irish population as a whole. A legitimate peaceful protest has once again simply been brushed aside, without any regard for genuine concerns, and in complete contempt of the laws of the land.” they say.
“It would appear that we simply do not have a voice any more. The government simply does not care – for our communities, for our laws and for our people.”
During the scenes that unfolded this morning a number of protestors fell to their knees and began to recite the Rosary in front of the line of public order unit Garda officers.
As Gript previously reported the public order unit was deployed at the scene Monday last week.
As the Garda Public Order Unit descends on Newtownmountkennedy, here's Fatima Gunning's report on the escalating tensions from last night pic.twitter.com/GzxPgDaLIw
— gript (@griptmedia) April 15, 2024
Gript contacted the Department of Integration asking what the role of the masked men is and if it is part of their policy to use masked workers. At the time of publication we are yet to receive a response and will update this article should we receive one.
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Now imagine if the same resources were used to stop illegal immigration in the first place. Now you know that these people will spend any amount of your money, use unlimited resources to destroy your lives but when you ask for your tax money to be used to improve your community you are ignored. Vote your enemies out.
Never was a truer word spoken.
The politicians are looking for trouble it would seem.
Utter vermin.
I wonder how much the pay is to a worker who would wear a ballyclava and be a traitor to their own people. Weak leaders mean hard times and we will be taking care of that one. I hope the Irish Nation learn from this and never make the same mistake again by voting for genocidal parties.
Unfortunately by that stage it is like giving up smoking when you have been diagnosed with fatal lung cancer. Too late then.
I don’t think it’s too late yet, we are on the edge and I think we can pull it back, the parties would not be shitting themselves otherwise.
Discrimination against people who want to voice their opinions against illegal immigrants and ukriane “refugees”!
Bascially, discrimination against Irish!
It not just discrimination. Its blatant intimidation and violence by the organs of the state against its own people. Its the powerful using all their power and might against the weak. Who ever thought we would ever see a day in Ireland where the government we elected would start bullying, ballyragging and beating up their own people. The Guards should be utterly ashamed of themselves. Does any money pay you for this. This is exactly the same tactic that was used against the workers in the 1913 lockout. If the trade unions were any good there would be a general strike against this attack on the ordinary people of Ireland but they are fully on board with this. No government done this is going to face the electorate soon after. There is a good chance that if their hate speech bill passes there will be martial law shortly thereafter. What is happening is just so very very wrong. Its easy to see why they put that RUC man up in Garda HQ..
The government seem to be doing their very best to push the Irish into full-scale revolt. Maybe it’s necessary, just like a forest fire is good for the long-term health of the ecosystem, a reckoning for authoritarian politicians and their bully boys might be just what a democracy needs to remain a democracy. I don’t want to see the country descend into chaos, but if this government retains local and national power after all the upcoming elections, I can’t see how it doesn’t happen.
If you had told me 5 years ago that this is where we’d be in Ireland in 2024, that ministers and guards would be wilfully trampling all over their own citizens, I would have asked if you were a PBP voter :/
My god I couldn’t agree with you more there was a stage I actually used to support Paul Murphy and pbp especially after the water protests I genuinely thought they would be an alternative to fg ff and sf how wrong was I ?
Murphy and PBP were outraged that the Gardai were being used against the people during the water protests .
Now , not only are they fully supportive of the Gardai being used against the people, they are bitterly complaining that the Gardai are not cracking down hard enough.
Their mask has slipped and hate contorted , venomous visage is there for all to see.
Any port in a storm. The rules, laws and articles of the constitution must be changed to suit the Zeitgeist. Otherwise it is the “far right”.
PBP are fascists. They are all in favor of beating down by force those they disagree with.
What were you thinking Jack ?. If that lot ever got in to power that would be your last election. We might have already had our last general election as the way this junta is behaving they don’t fear the electorate. Maybe because they have no intention of having an election.
The tree of liberty needing to be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants springs to mind. Metaphorically of course!
Maybe the masked men are the same masked men who protested outside Minister O’Gorman’s house?!!!!
The ones the guards watched assemble banners on o Gorman’s private property. And why so few of the protesters, it’s very strange.
Peaceful protest organized in Dublin on the 6th of May at 2:30 starting at the garden of remembrance put it in your diary and say no to the eu migration pact . No trouble makers need attend.
Are you saying the Gardai aren’t welcome to attend? 😂
The same buckos in the public order unit insisted on routing the protest in March down past the Antifa gang in O’Connell street in the hope of causing trouble. When that did not work they just attacked a section of the crown on Gardiner street so RTE could report trouble. The never mentioned that the trouble was caused by the scum in RIC/Garda uniform.
Your peaceful protests are ignored, the Irish are becoming blood thirsty
That’s their tactic now. Bring in scabs from outside. Its exactly what the powerful done in the lockout. Bring in Scabs from England. I would bet that apart from the foreman none of these masked scabs have Irish accents.
Very disturbing scenes.Not good for the gardai.
Evil Is stalking the land proclaiming itself to be virtue .
When you kill your own flesh and blood babies what do you expect?
The Irish government will uphold and praise to the nth degree the right of the people of Ireland to protest peacefully Then they will emphatically ignore them. Curiously enough they will venerate each year the founding fathers of the nation who did not use peaceful demonstration to achieve independence.
Of course they do not have a voice. They gave it away when they voted for Maastricht, divorce Nice, Lisbon, SS marriage, abortion. They disparaged the Irish constitution which secured them their sovereignty for a mess of potage.
Edited my comment about attending the peaceful protest because it looks like a war zone tonight.
Doesn’t look good for either side tbh.
I used to have some respect for the guards in this Country, even addressing them as “Guard” naively when I came across em but I’ve lost all respect for them now for what they’re facilitating.Well all I can say is that it WILL affect them or theirs someday.
https://www.facebook.com/1542477410/posts/pfbid034vigcvdvptkHTZU6MiJGvw7ovV9SiPyn9AucDiyPNhyn3mhL86ZAZN67oppSMgFXl/?app=fbl
How long before Paul Lynch’s “Prophet Song” is ancient history – assuming it is not banned?
You’ve read that book wrong Sean, you are the bad guys in it. FFS
whoooosshhh!