Justice Minister Helen McEntee firmly stated that while everyone has a right to protest lawfully, they do not possess the right to hinder site development or enter someone’s personal property without permission. She made these comments following tumultuous scenes at a site in Newtownmountkennedy, where demonstrators were opposed to the site’s planned use for accommodating international protection applicants.
Trouble broke out on Thursday evening as six individuals were arrested amid the fracas with the gardaí, who held a continuous presence at Trudder House throughout the night. The Minister, while speaking on Newstalk on Friday morning, commended the gardaí’s ability to handle the situation effectively, maintaining order and clearing the site for people to continue work, even when facing resistance.
The demonstrators, nonetheless, criticised the gardaí’s approach, accusing them of excessive force to enable workers access to the Newtownmountkennedy site. It’s being considered by the Department of Integration for twenty tents, each capable of housing eight persons.
The protestors issued a statement condemning the incident as a disgrace and blamed the Government for coercing the Newtown community into accepting an immensely unpopular immigration policy. They likened the gardaí’s conduct to that seen in a ‘police state’.
Late on Thursday, An Garda Síochána made a comprehensive statement detailing their personnel’s consistency in first-hand verbal and physical assault, which escalated into missile attacks, where rocks were thrown at them in the evening. Further damages included three Garda cars being vandalised, tyres being slashed, windows being shattered, multiple fires started and the recovery of an axe from the site.
Regarding the six detainees, who are reportedly four men, one woman, and a minor kept overnight, An Garda Síochána did not disclose whether or not they would be facing charges. They promised to release more details on the matter later on Friday morning.
The individuals taken into custody were apprehended on suspicions of breaching the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act of 1994. They were subsequently remanded to various police stations throughout Wicklow. In a formal announcement, the police indicated that roughly 50 officers, inclusive of the public order unit, were on the scene late Thursday evening. As tensions escalated, the police were forced to resort to physical defence, marking a heightened reaction to the increasingly volatile situation.
Force used by the somewhat beleaguered officers included incapacitant sprays and the deployment of public order police outfitted with helmets and shields. An Garda Síochána emphasised that while they respect the citizens’ constitutional rights, any activity transgressing criminal law or disrupting the rights of others to go about their daily lives or targeting officers of the law will not be tolerated.
The law enforcement agency underlined that their approach towards such unfolding events is gradated, prudently considering legislation and public safety, and turning towards enforcement only as a last-ditch measure. Furthermore, they highlighted their awareness of misleading information being spread regarding the incident.
Social media platforms and even Gript Media’s Fatima Gunning, who claims she was sprayed with incapacitant despite explicitly identifying herself as a journalist, shared videos of the skirmish. Protesters expressed disapproval towards the workers who had arrived at the site donned in balaclavas.
The initial plan had been to set up 20 tents, each intended for eight people, at the Trudder House site, which had become a protest hotspot ever since its planned use for accommodation was made public six weeks prior. An early hours blaze on 14th April at the site necessitated the fire department’s intervention.
The dissenters claim the site is ill-suited to house over 150 people, owing to overstretched resources in the town. They also argue that the building, once utilised as a school and a health service establishment, cannot be utilised for anything not pertaining to health or education, as per a trust’s stipulations.
A discourse involving the local objectors, the project developer, and the police was set to take place on Monday, as per the protesters’ information.
A representative for the Taoiseach expressed that the Taoiseach criticised the recent assaults on An Garda Síochána. The gardaí bear the responsibility of enforcing the country’s laws and ought to have our full backing in performing their duties. It was emphasised that we are a nation governed by laws and any attack on the gardaí should be universally denounced.