Hundreds join anti-immigration protest in Limerick calling for mass deportations
Hundreds of people took part in an anti-immigration protest in Limerick, during which chants were heard calling for mass deportations.
Many attending the 'Limerick Says No' protest arrived on buses from various parts of the country. Protesters flying tricolour flags shouted: 'What do we want? Mass deportations. When do we want it? Now.'
They walked through Limerick city centre after leaving Arthur's Quay Park at 1pm. A pro-Palestine counter protest got underway at the same time. Protesters wave tricolours at Limerick Says No rally on Saturday. Pic: Sean Dwyer
A Garda spokesperson on Saturday night said: 'Uniformed frontline Gardaí were supported by colleagues from the Garda National Public Order Unit, Garda Mounted Unit, Roads Policing, Divisional plainclothes Gardaí and Gardaí from National Units. No arrests have been made and no incidents have been reported at this time.'
Meanwhile, in Belfast an 'emergency rally' against hate and racism was held on Saturday following days of racially charged violence in the North, which started in Ballymena.
The rally, organised by United Against Racism, began at noon outside Belfast City Hall.
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Irish Examiner
43 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Anti-racism and anti-immigration demonstrations held in Dublin city
An anti-racism rally and an anti-immigration demonstration were held in Dublin city on Sunday. O'Connell Bridge was closed for a time on Sunday afternoon as the gardaí erected extensive barriers to separate the two crowds. The United Against Racism rally began at the Central Plaza on Dame Street, marching through the city to O'Connell Bridge at around 2pm. An anti-racism rally was held to counter the anti-immigration demo (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA) Several protesters carried signs saying: 'Blame the Government, not migrants'; and: 'Dublin stands against racism'. They also chanted: 'Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.' The anti-immigration protest marched down O'Connell Street and turned left at O'Connell Bridge before continuing along the quays. Participants from both sides shouted and gestured towards each other from across the empty space between the barriers created by gardaí. Officers formed a barrier between the demonstrations (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA) At one point, the anti-racism rally chanted at the anti-immigration group: 'You say protect women, that's a lie' and referenced a photo being carried by one person of MMA fighter Conor McGregor, who lost a civil trial where a Dublin woman accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel. The anti-immigration group, which was the larger of the two, was thick with large tricolour flags. It chanted 'ole ole' and 'Whose streets? Our streets'. Several people were seen wearing 'Make Ireland Great Again' green caps and holding US or 'Trump' flags, and some signs critical of RTÉ. The two rallies chanted and gestured towards each other (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA) At one point, the famous rebel song 'Oro 'Se do bheatha 'bhaile' was played by the anti-racism rally over a speaker, and prompted some participants in the anti-immigration group to sing along and applaud at the end. There was an extensive Garda presence at the location where the two protest groups were due to cross paths. The Garda Mounted Support Unit, the Public Order Unit, and Garda members from outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region were in attendance. One Garda member was heard telling a member of the public he could not give directions as he was brought in from a region outside Dublin to police the protest.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Irish protesters on march to Gaza recall ‘sinister' detention and armed ‘paid locals' surrounding them
An Irish woman detained by Egyptian authorities during the global peaceful march to Gaza has described the experience as 'quite sinister' in parts. Helen Lawlor (42) and fellow protester Kellie McConnell (37) were among the Irish delegation detained during a global peaceful March to Gaza. About 2,500 people from more than 50 countries took part in the march earlier this month to protest against western military support for Israel in the conflict and to show solidarity with Palestinians under bombardment. About 50 Irish people had travelled to Cairo with the goal of marching to the Rafah crossing with Gaza. READ MORE Ms Lawlor, a nurse from Mountmellick, Co Laois, said things turned 'quite sinister' as night fell and the group were surrounded by several 'paid locals' wielding weapons, while Egyptian police stood back and watched on. After being stopped at a checkpoint en route to Ismailia by taxi, 'police came over and took our passports so we were all detained there for the full day, for hours,' she said. 'Hundreds and hundreds of cars, taxis and buses' had also been stopped 'in the middle of the desert' in what Ms Lawlor described as a 'very surreal experience'. [ Irish citizens including Paul Murphy TD freed by Egyptian authorities after detention over Gaza march ] Despite this, spirits 'remained high' among herself and the other demonstrators, who started singing, until 'the evening passed and it started to get dark'. 'The police came back in riot gear and they kind of circled the crowd and split it into two,' Ms Lawlor said. 'Every few minutes, they would take a step forward to get us more cramped. 'They did set water on us ... That's the only thing the Egyptian police actually did to us was set on this water sprinkler. Then they said you have 15 minutes to get on the bus or you'll be beaten on to the buses. 'They had ambulances lined up and gurneys. I think that was a little intimidation, like you're going to need these if you don't move.' Shortly after, 'paid local people' arrived carrying 'whips. They had belts, ropes. One guy had a metal bar with spikes at the end of it'. 'Then they started off just throwing water at people and then they were getting full bottles of water that were closed and just throwing them full force into people's faces,' she said. Ms Lawlor said she emerged with a bruised arm, while other members of the group 'were badly beaten' as they sat in peaceful protest. 'At the same time that we were sitting there, there were pictures coming in from Gaza of bloodied children's feet who had been crushed in between buildings and were left hanging until they died. So that's the reason we went, to try get help to these people,' she said. 'It's nothing compared to what's going on in Gaza.' Ms McConnell, a dentist from Wicklow who was also detained, echoed the sentiment. 'The real issue is the illegal occupation and detention of Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank . What's happening to them has gone on for generations. We just had a week of it,' she said. She said her motivation to join the march came from frustration at the Government, whom she said 'pay lip service' to the humanitarian crisis. Kellie McConnell: 'Simon Harris could be doing so much, but isn't' 'We can see flights through Shannon and through Irish airspace carrying weapons. We can see Ireland being the second highest customer for Israel after the US and we could sanction Israel. We could welcome Palestinians.' Her group did not get further than Cairo, where they 'were pulled over when we were in the taxi'. 'Eventually we got pushed on to a prison bus with tiny, very high windows and chains on the back of the seats and they wouldn't tell us where we were going,' she said. Her passport was also taken by the Egyptian authorities, who detained the group 'for around seven hours'. 'The only water that they offered us were bottles that were already open,' Ms McConnell said. Reflecting on the experience, having heard from other participants in the march 'it looked like the strategy [of the Egyptian authorities] was divide and conquer'. 'Divide our groups, let some people through to this checkpoint and that checkpoint,' she said. Ms McConnell returned to Ireland on Thursday, where she resumed campaigning with North Wicklow Against Genocide. 'On Thursdays we go to Simon Harris's office in Bray, we leaflet, we demonstrate and we draw attention to the fact that he could be doing so much but isn't.'
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Motorcyclist (50s) dies in single-vehicle crash in Co Cork
A motorcylist in his 50s has died following a single-vehicle crash near Milford, Co Cork on Saturday. In a statement, gardaí said they were alerted to a motorcyclist who had been found unresponsive on Sunday morning on the R515 at Coolnagour between Milford and Dromcolliher, Co Limerick . The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner has been notified and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course. The road is currently closed for a technical examination by Garda forensic collision investigators. Local diversions are in place. READ MORE Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward. In particular, they are requesting that anyone who was travelling in the area between 1pm and 6pm on Saturday, and who may have camera footage, to contact investigating gardaí. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda station on 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. The fatality was the second road death over the weekend. On Saturday, a man in his 60s died after he was hit by a tractor on the L7006 at Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, in Co Clare . Gardaí and emergency services responded to the collision which happened shortly after 10.15am on Saturday. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been transferred to University Hospital Limerick and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.
