In Coolock, inhabitants reacted on Tuesday morning to grave civil disorder that broke out around the former Crown Paints factory site. The Department of Integration intends to use this location as housing for 550 foreign asylum seekers. The unrest featured aggressive acts, such as fireworks targeting lines of pubic order officers and an assortment of objects being thrown, including glass bottles, high-speed gas canisters, rocks, stones and curbs obtained from the Malahide Road Retail Centre.
The law enforcement intervention that persisted into Tuesday following a heated confrontation on Monday led to a security guard being admitted to hospital, several officers being wounded, arson attacks on a police vehicle and an excavator, and 15 arrests.
A 63-year-old resident, Colette Brennan, living adjacent to the former factory, expressed that she felt incarcerated in her own property during the severe turmoil of the previous day. After a JCB excavator set a blaze on the factory ground during the commotion, trees in her yard started to ignite. “The fire service was on the scene, but the protesters denied them access,” she explained, stationed with a trolley of goods at the crossroad of Malahide Road and Greencastle Road. Eventually, the Dublin Fire Brigade were given permission to access her garden and put out the blaze.
“The authorities suggested we vacate our property, warning of a potential explosion. But if we had complied, we wouldn’t have been able to return until 10pm due to road closures. We practically felt like captives in our own property,” she lamented. “It was rather unnerving.”
Ms Brennan voiced her disapproval of the scheme to accommodate asylum seekers at the factory and expressed her disappointment at the lack of communication from the authorities regarding these plans. Moreover, she expressed concerns over the arrival of single male asylum seekers in the local area, while empathising that these individuals “need care and support”.
The situation at the plant should not have been addressed with violence, claimed a woman, who highlighted the significant financial implications. She pointed out that forced closures experienced by local businesses equated to lost revenue. She further condemned the behaviour of young men towards local police officers on Monday, describing them as belligerent and problematic, and insisted that their disruptive behaviour wasn’t serving anyone’s interests.
The woman expressed the desire of Coolock’s residents to be kept informed regarding plans at the factory by those in charge. She voiced concern over talk of using destructive measures, such as incineration, to prevent access to the facility, which she stated was undesirable and inappropriate.
Meanwhile, an elderly local male, standing across from the factory, commented on the media and politicians’ focus on extreme right-wing views, asserting that it overlooks the concerns of ordinary individuals like himself. He expressed frustration over apparent long-term neglect of working-class districts of Dublin and the northside by the government. He mentioned neighbourhoods like Coolock, East Wall, Darndale, and Sherriff Street, accusing those in charge of indifference. He warned that any issues within these communities would likely spill over into adjacent areas.
The elder also suggested that the unrest experienced on Monday shouldn’t surprise the authorities given the longstanding neglect of communities like Coolock. He passionately articulated his conviction that these communities have been consistently ignored.
A 76-year-old British transplant and longtime Coolock inhabitant also criticised the excessive force used by police on the same day. He stated that if the country accepts asylum seekers, it should ensure they are accommodated humanely; otherwise, the country should admit its inability to assist them.
“We are unable to provide shelter to our own citizens, let alone others; it’s truly appalling. My own grandson, who is a postal worker, lives with his mother as he cannot afford a house nor secure one from the council,” he proclaimed.
There has been recorded violence and conflicts involving gardaí and protestors who object to the decision to accommodate international protection applicants in an abandoned former paint factory.
The Crown Paints industrial unit, located on Malahide Road, Coolock, was the centre of protest activity on Monday night following a day marked by fierce confrontations. The aftermath saw a security officer admitted to the hospital, several gardaí sustained injuries, instances of arson on police vehicles and construction machinery. Moreover, a total of 15 individuals were taken into custody due to the unrest.