In an event orchestrated by those opposing immigration, hundreds of individuals took to the streets of Dublin city on a recent Monday. Wearing Irish flags and chanting messages like “out, out, out” and “our streets”, these protestors traversed O’Connell Street, some had their faces concealed behind hoods or masked with sunglasses and balaclavas. The demonstration was initiated at the Garden of Remembrance shortly after 2.30pm, with participants trickling in carrying various flags and signs.
As the march proceeded, it passed the General Post Office (GPO) where approximately 200 people had organised a counter-demonstration under the banner “united against racism”. This group waved Palestinian flags and placards that stated messages such as “No to far-right lies and racism”, “Homes for people, homes for all”, and “Welcome all refugees”.
A line of police offers, or gardaí, separated these two groups of protestors. There were tense encounters when the march passed the counter-protest site, with gardaí stopping some marchers who attempted to cross to the other flank. In anticipation of heated exchanges, a significant Garda force that included members of the Public Order Unit was on standby.
Officers were posted in clusters along O’Connell Street, especially around the Spire. Among the crowd, a young child wrapped in an Irish flag held a sign that proclaimed “Irish rights are under attack”. The march also attracted protest groups from places such as Newtownmountkennedy in County Wicklow, Coolock, and East Wall. The passage of the entire crowd through O’Connell Street, which lasted around 45 minutes, led to substantial traffic congestion.