‘I fear for my grandchildren!’: Dublin local speaks out as anti-immigration protest erupts

‘I fear for my grandchildren!’: Dublin local speaks out as anti-immigration protest erupts

WATCH NOW: Irish Police criticised for their handling of Dublin migrant protests

GB News
Georgia Pearce

By Georgia Pearce


Published: 16/07/2024

- 16:27

Police confronted the protesters outside a former paint factory on Malahide Road in Coolock, Dublin

A Dublin local has expressed fears for the safety of her "children and grandchildren" after anti-migrant protests grew violent in the Irish capital.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has condemned the scenes which have been taking place outside of an asylum centre, calling them "reprehensible".


15 people have been charged with public order offences after the anti-immigration protest led to clashes with the police.

Speaking to GB News at the demonstration, protester Sandra told reporter Dougie Beattie that the former paint factory, which is set to house up to 1,500 asylum seekers, had been home to their protest for 115 days.

Dublin protesters and Dublin local

A Dublin local says she fears for her 'children and grandchildren' as anti-immigration protests erupt

GB News

Recalling how the police removed the demonstrators from the building, Sandra said: "We have all been protesting here for the last 115 days.

"They moved in there about 3.30am in the early hours of Monday morning, and the police came in and told the last couple of lads that were staying here that they had 30 seconds to clear out - then they just ransacked the place."

Criticising the police's handling of the protests, Sandra claimed that the officers "caused chaos themselves" in confronting the demonstrators in the area.

She added: "We all protested here for the duration of the day, and before we knew it, we had all the police here. They had the air crew, armed forces, everything. It just got crazy.

Dublin protest

Police confronted the protesters outside a former paint factory on Malahide Road in Coolock, Dublin

GB News

"They basically blocked us all in and took over the whole road. They stopped all the traffic, they created havoc here, the police themselves."

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When asked by Dougie why the locals are so passionately against the building becoming asylum housing, Sandra admitted that the area is "already underprivileged" and the men "won't have anything to do" in the area.

Sandra explained: "We're so against it because it's an underprivileged area. It's a poor area, and these are the only amenities we have over here for the whole of Coolock.

"They want to put 1,500 unvetted males into it, there's nothing here for the likes of all these men, it's just ridiculous."

Criticising the Government and the frustration felt by the locals, Sandra claimed that the community is "not being listened to".

Dublin local

The Dublin local told GB News the area of Coolock is 'already a poor and underprivileged area'

GB News

Sandra fumed: "Our government is not listening to us, the Garda is not listening to us. And I fear for my children, my grandchildren growing up around unvetted men that are coming in, economic migrants coming into the country.

"Nobody knows anything about them. We're not told about them, and it's not safe to have them here."

She continued: "There will be grown men in an area where there's a lot of small children growing up. There's nothing around here for them, there's no jobs in this area for half the people already in the area.

"So why do you want to put them in this area with all these small children? It doesn't make sense."

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