An anti-immigration gathering outside Garda headquarters descended into chaos on Monday after different factions in the small crowd began arguing over the attendance of a group based in Coolock who had stood alongside loyalist protesters in Belfast.
Members of the group opposing the use of the former Crown Paints factory in the north Dublin suburb as asylum seeker accommodation, which calls itself Coolock Says No, were in attendance in Belfast on Saturday.
When they unfurled a Coolock Says No banner at Monday’s event in the Phoenix Park, it prompted angry scenes.
Some at the gathering, which was poorly attended, vented their anger at the Coolock protesters for standing with Tricolours alongside loyalists with union flags and the Ulster banner.
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Some in the crowd tried to drag the Coolock Says No banner from those holding it as Garda members looked on, telling the group from Coolock to “get out here”.
[ Protesters from Republic warned against joining anti-immigrant rallies in BelfastOpens in new window ]
While the protest was small, the Garda had erected a row of crowd-control barriers outside Garda Headquarters, with uniform officers deployed to the scene and Public Order Unit members patrolling the area in vans.
However, the protest petered out, ending after a short period, with the Garda confirming its members were in attendance. “Gardaí attended at a public gathering in the Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, this afternoon,” it said in a brief reply to queries.
Gardaí have already begun liaising with the PSNI about the Dublin demonstrators who attended the Belfast protests on Saturday, which led to scenes of loyalist protesters and others from Dublin who style themselves as “Irish patriots” standing side by side.
Some of the Dublin men in attendance, alongside some notorious loyalists with terrorism convictions, have already been identified. At least one of the men is on bail having been charged in the Republic with a range of serious offences related to anti-migrant activities in recent years.
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