Revealed: Three arrested at Dublin protests over weekend
Three people were arrested for public order offences during protests staged in Dublin city centre at the weekend.
Thousands attended an anti-immigration protest on Saturday, which began at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square. At the same time, a counter demonstration by United Against Racism was held outside the GPO.
Gardaí confirmed three people were arrested for public order offences and added that 'no further information on these arrests is available'. Three people were arrested for public order offences during protests staged in Dublin city centre at the weekend. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
'No major incidents of note occurred,' a spokesperson for the force said.
Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's This Week programme, said in response to Saturday's demonstrations that the Government has taken 'a fair but quite tough approach to immigration'.
When asked if Saturday's anti-immigration protest needed to be listened to, the minister said: 'I think everybody needs to be listened to. Thomas Byrne TD. Pic: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
'The reality is that our progress as a country and our economic success as a country has been fuelled by this country becoming more open… and yes, new people coming to this country have contributed to where we are as a country today.'
He added: 'That protest… was certainly reasonably significant but it's just a protest. There are far more people being treated in hospitals by migrants than there were at that protest.'
In a video filmed in the Garden of Remembrance before the protest, MMA star Conor McGregor, 36, told those leading the march to 'be calm, be clear, speak with dignity'. Conor McGregor. Pic: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
McGregor – who is appealing the verdict reached by a civil jury last November that found that he sexually assaulted Nikita Hand in the Beacon Hotel in 2018, awarding her almost €250,000 in damages – has recently signalled his intention to run in the Irish Presidential election.
Dublin City councillors Gavin Pepper, Philip Sutcliffe and Malachy Steenson, along with Fingal councillor Patrick Quinlan, gave speeches alongside a number of anti-immigration activists at the demonstration on Saturday.
Thousands of protesters made their way down to O'Connell Street, with many carrying Tricolour flags and a number holding Make Ireland Great Again placards.
Shouts and chants included 'Get them out' and, 'Ireland for the Irish'.
Attendees at both the protest and counter-demonstration chanted: 'Whose streets? Our streets.'
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