AN angry crowd of about 500 people staged a noisy protest outside the home of an alleged drug dealer in a Dublin suburb last night.
At one stage it appeared as if some of the crowd might storm the house of the man in the Dublin suburb of Artane. But the organisers had insisted it should be a peaceful protest".
The protesters, mostly from the inner city but with a significant contingent from Darndale and Coolock, stood at the house shouting scumbag, scumbag", and a number of them rapped on the door and windows, setting off the burglar alarm. A handful of protesters climbed onto the porch and placed a mock coffin on top of it, reading "Drugs Kill".
The man was not at home he is currently believed to be in Britain.
The crowd then turned to another house across the road, where an associate lives. Its alarm was also set off and one of the crowd fired fireworks over the roof of the first man's house and into the back garden.
Two gardai stood by each front door but they did not attempt to interfere.
The alleged dealer has not been convicted of drugs offences. He was acquitted earlier this year of being abusive to a garda. His name features in a claimed "IRA hitlist" of dealers, with the comment: "earns 25k a week".
After the protest the crowd marched to Donnycarney Church, where they were addressed by Tony Gregory, TD and Mr Joe Costello, TD, who called on the authorities to seize and sell the two houses, and use the proceeds for treatment of drug addicts. Mr Ivor Callely TD of Fianna Fail was also present.
Mr Gregory said the crowd had "served an eviction notice" on the dealer, "and we'll come back in the weeks to come to implement that eviction".
The protest ended shortly after 9 p.m.