Dozens of people take part in anti-asylum seeker protests in south Dublin

Members of the Garda public order unit maintained a presence at an anti-asylum seeker protest in South Dublin on Wednesday evening.

About 100 people gathered, blocking roads in the centre of Ballybrack village, near Ridge Hall, a former GP surgery with apartments over it. Rumours had been circulating on social media since Tuesday that up to 60 male asylum seekers were to be housed there. The building had been badly damaged the previous evening, with several large ground-floor windows broken during protests.

Several people sat on camping seats in the crossroads on Wednesday evening, while others sat under a gazebo outside Ridge Hall. Irish flags were draped over it and Wolfe Tones music was played on a loudspeaker. There appeared to be no political-party presence. Over half of those there were women and teenage children.

In response to requests for information by local public representatives on Tuesday, the Department of Children in an email said Ridge Hall was part of the Department of Housing’s refurbishment programme.

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“Properties refurbished in this programme are subsequently handed over to our Department to house Ukrainian displaced persons ... This building has not yet been notified to this Department as being ready for use,” they said in a statement.

Women in their 50s and 60s who spoke to The Irish Times said they had heard “60 unvetted males” were due to arrive by bus on Wednesday night and described communications to the contrary as “lies”.

“We come out and stand here and protest to keep our children and grandchildren safe and we are called ‘racist’. People are afraid. There is no one coming to speak to us. All the political parties do is use Facebook to call frightened women ‘racists’ and ‘bullies’,” said a protester.

Asked about the attack on the family home of independent councillor, Hugh Lewis, in Ballybrack, in which a rock was thrown through the front window on Monday night with a note warning him to “stop supporting refugees” they said: “We wouldn’t support that. That was awful.”

In nearby Dún Laoghaire, about 30 people also gathered on Wednesday, with Irish flags, outside the old senior college on Eblana Avenue, which is being used to house up to 140 asylum seekers. A low key Garda presence was maintained there.

The protests came as Minister for Justice Helen McEntee condemned as “reprehensible” the attack on Mr Lewis’s family home, where his 78-year-old father lives alone.

Such incidents were aimed at trying to “prevent people getting involved in politics”, Ms McEntee said.

Commenting on the protests in Ballybrack on Tuesday, Ms McEntee said those protesting “do not represent the vast majority of people”, who had been welcoming to refugees.

Local People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, also condemned the attack on Mr Lewis’s father’s home, saying it would not be supported by the vast majority of people in the area. He was concerned, however, it could create fear among those who would want to support asylum seekers and confront racism, discouraging them from speaking out.