Red flags prior to disorder

RESPONDING to the Dublin riots, during which gardaí lost control of Dublin city centre for hours on Thursday night, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris insisted the level of disorder sparked by far right agitators ‘could not have been anticipated’ and that ‘the idea that this violence was unforeseeable is frankly nonsense’. But this week’s violence followed three high-profile anti-immigrant incidents which sparked criticism of his light-touch approach to policing far right protests.

CLARE BLOCKADE

In May, gardaí were criticised for failing to intervene after protesters set up a blockade outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Inch, Co. Clare. The blockade remained for almost a week after it emerged a group of 33 asylum seekers were being brought to stay at the hotel.

MIGRANTS’ TENT BURNED

The same month, thugs set fire to tents at a makeshift camp where several homeless asylum seekers had been staying down a laneway in Dublin city centre. The camp had previously been targeted by anti-immigrant protests, which led to a tense standoff between a large group of pro and anti-immigration protesters the evening before the tents were set ablaze.

CHAOS AS DÁIL RETURNS

Commissioner Harris came under political fire after elected politicians were jostled and heckled outside the national parliament when the Dáil resumed in late September after the summer break. Far right protesters erected a mock gallows covered with images of political figures including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.