Around 500 people gathered in the center of Dublin, outside the General Post Office, for an anti-immigration protest on Thursday afternoon (September 19). The GPO has historical significance in Ireland as the site where, in 1916, groups of Irish independence supporters proclaimed the Irish Republic at a time when the island was ruled by the British.

The protest began was designed to voice objection to the Irish government’s immigration policies, which protesters say offer too much support to asylum seekers and refugees, reported the Irish newspaper Trinity News.

"We are not racist, we help people who are really refugees, but we need the government to look after Irish people first," a man called Brian Garrigan told the French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP).

An anti-immigration group Citizens of Éire, is reported to have organized the process, bringing with them Irish flags and banners proclaiming that "Irish lives matter." Garrigan was one of those carrying a banner with these words emblazoned on it, reported AFP.

Also read: Racist violence hits northern Irish capital

Counter-protest

A counter-protest also sprang up in nearby Grafton Street, organized by the group United Against Racism. This group was busy accusing the anti-migrant protesters of being "far-right loyalists" and telling them that "refugees are welcome here," reported Trinity News.

The Irish police intervened as both groups converged and formed a barrier between the opposing factions. After the protesters on both sides were dispersed, some of the anti-migration protesters moved to O’Connell Bridge to stage a sit-in. The police then had to close the bridge and the surrounding streets, reports Trinity News, "causing a cascade of delays throughout the city center for cars and public transportation."

A series of "minor scuffles" between police and protesters were reported, and police moved in under public order legislation.

Some of the anti-racist protesters held up Irish flags too, as well as a "starry plough flag" (originally used by a socialist Irish republican movement) as well as Palestinian flags, reported the Irish Times. Some of those protesters are reported to have been chanting "When migrant rights are under attack, stand up, fight back." The anti-racism protesters were made up mostly of people from "left-wing groups."

Also read: Homelessness, a common experience for migrants arriving in Dublin

At least 19 arrests

At that point, the police made at least 19 arrests of the anti-migrant protesters. No one was reported injured in the confrontation. A spokesperson for the police, (An Garda Síochána), said that the arrests had been made after protesters refused to disperse and for "non-cooperation."

Investigations, stated the police spokesperson, "are ongoing." They said police in the city center "remain vigilant."

This is not the first time that Irish police have arrested tens of anti-migrant protesters. Marches and protests have been becoming more frequent in the last few years across Ireland, especially around areas where the authorities seek to set up a new asylum center or build accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers.

Housing shortages and economic difficulties have increased the woes of many in Ireland who feel that the government is offering more help to people who are just arriving rather than addressing poverty and unemployment in the Irish population.

Also read: The rise of anti-migrant sentiment in Ireland

Fires, riots and demonstrations

Last November, Dublin was hit by a series of riots, that the authorities blamed on the far right. The riots were sparked after it was reported that an Irish person who had been born abroad had attacked people with a knife in the capital. Three children were among four people injured in the attack.

In the first six months of 2024, the numbers of those seeking asylum in Ireland had risen to 10,500 -- almost double the figure from to the same period last year.

Across 2023 and into 2024, a number of sites earmarked to house asylum seekers have seen protests held outside them, and even parts of them set on fire by protesters and sometimes local residents.

Migration will be a big feature of next year's upcoming elections in Ireland, due to take place in March 2025.

Back in July this year, the Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris condemned another series of anti-immigration clashes, calling them "reprehensible." Harris added that, "no person has a right to burn cars, damage property or attack the police," reported AFP.

"These actions are criminal and are designed to sow fear and division. We should not accept them being legitimized in any way by describing them as 'protest,'" concluded Harris.

With AFP