Gardaí respond to anti-migrant protest in Dublin city centre

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Public order gardaí have responded to an anti-migrant protest outside the International Protection Office in Dublin – a day after a migrant camp was dismantled and set alight.

On Saturday, protesters marched from the Customs House, where there was a rally against hate speech legislation currently before the Oireachtas.

The demonstrators marched towards Mount Street Lower, where dozens of tents have been erected in another makeshift camp for homeless migrants.

The protesters carried Irish flags and banners as they walked through the camp chanting and exchanging words with migrants.

There was a scuffle as some demonstrators and gardaí pushed each other.

They then stood across the main entrance to the camp at Grattan Court East.

The protesters later called on the gardaí to remove the tents.

On Friday, a man was arrested during a protest in Dublin during which a different nearby migrant camp was dismantled and later set alight.

Makeshift tents had been erected in a laneway being used by homeless migrants.

A protest against the camp took place in the area around Sandwith Street on Friday evening and involved several groups, including counter-protesters.

Public order gardai attended those demonstrations too.

The man, in his 30s, was arrested under the Public Order Act and will appear before Dublin District Court this month.

Wooden pallets and other materials from the camp were later set alight in the laneway but gardai said no one was present at that time and no one was hurt.