Former factory in Dublin intended to house asylum seekers is set on fire

A disused factory in Dublin earmarked to house asylum seekers has been set on fire following a protest at the site.

More than 1,000 people were protesting at the former Crown Paints building in Coolock on Friday night, in the north of the Irish capital, and gardaí were on the scene.

A number of speeches were given outside the derelict factory, with protesters seen holding signs that read “Irish Lives Matter” and “The Irish People”.

A police spokesperson said: “Gardaí are currently responding to a public order incident occurring at a premises on the Malahide Road, Coolock.

“A small fire which broke out at the same location a short time ago is being attended to by Dublin fire brigade. No injuries have been reported.”

The protest had moved on to the gardaí station in Coolock before returning to the disused building as disorder broke out among the crowd, PA reported.

The protest was organised by a group called Coolock Says No protesting against government plans to use the former factory to house asylum seekers.

Organisers said in advance that it would be a peaceful event after violent scenes in the area earlier in the week. But after a number of the protesters dispersed, a fire broke out at the factory.

Taoiseach Simon Harris warned that anyone who engages in “thuggery” while taking part in protests at Coolock would “face the full rigour of the law”.

Speaking in Donegal, he said: “In relation to protest, anybody in Ireland is legitimately entitled to protest, it is a key tenet of our democracy and it is something I would always support the right that people have to protest.

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“But I have to say what we have seen in recent days has not been that. What we have seen in recent days has been an attempt by a relatively small number of people to engage in lawlessness, to engage in thuggery and to engage in criminal activity.

“That is why there have been several arrests, it is why more than 19 people appeared before the courts in recent days. It is why a number of people have now been charged with criminal offences.”

Violence escalated at the site earlier this week when agitators, some masked, set machinery on fire and hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at police. A security guard was taken away on a stretcher and several police vehicles were damaged.

It comes amid increased tension in Ireland in relation to asylum seekers. Earlier this week, people armed with knives and pipes reportedly attacked 15 asylum seekers sheltering in tents in central Dublin, forcing them to flee.

The attack reportedly occurred after asylum seekers from Somalia and Palestine erected a makeshift camp on City Quay and some tents were slashed and thrown in the Liffey River after the refugees fled to a police station.

Since 2022 there has been a sharp increase in arson on properties across the country linked to accommodating asylum seekers, with a riot erupting in Dublin last November .