Hundreds of trade unionists and demonstrators have staged a rally in Dublin city centre, days after a violent riot rocked the capital.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ (ICTU) rally was held at 1pm on O’Connell Street in protest against the riotous behaviour and in a show of solidarity with those affected by violence on Thursday, including three children and a care worker who were stabbed in a knife attack earlier in the day.
Garda cars, buses and a luas were set alight, shops were damaged and looted and officers attacked during violent scenes, which involved far-right elements.
It came shortly after the woman and children were injured in an attack outside a school in the north-inner city on Parnell Square.
ICTU general secretary Owen Reidy told the crowd: “By being here today you are also standing up and saying what took place last Thursday night – which was a combination of mindless violence and also that pernicious, racist, xenophobic violence against our migrant community – is unacceptable.
“That’s an attack on our community and our community are the people who live and work in this city whether they were born here, whether they were born in this country, or whether they were born in the four corners of this globe, they are part of our community. We are one and we are for an Ireland for all.”
In her speech, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INTO) general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said Ireland welcomes migrant workers.
The INMO said migrant workers provide a necessary service and need to be absolutely assured of their safety.
Minister for Further Education Simon Harris said there will be a “full review” into the policing of Thursday night’s riots.
Mr Harris said: “What happened on Thursday was the most despicable, horrific attack on democracy, on our city and on the institutions of the State, and it will be met with a full response and there will have to be a review.”
Mr Harris, who previously served as minister for justice, said there had been a “very significant conflation” of issues and the riot was not just a “far-right gathering”.
He said: “We had the horrific, despicable attack on children and care workers on Parnell Square, and we think of all of them. We then saw a far-right gathering, if I may call it that, we then saw absolute opportunistic criminality and thuggery.”
He added: “I don’t think we can conflate each of those issues.”
His comments come after opposition politicians called for the resignation of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.
Green TD Neasa Hourigan, who is currently outside the party’s whip system, has said she does not see how she could support Ms McEntee if a confidence motion was called following the riot.
Asked on RTÉ radio if she would express confidence in Ms McEntee if such a vote was called, she said: “I don’t see how I can right now.”
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys defended Ms McEntee and Commissioner Harris, adding that she does “not see the point” of no confidence motions.
Speaking to reporters in Baldoyle, she said: “We absolutely support the Minister for Justice, there’s no question about that.
“She’s doing a good job. Crime is changing, and it is difficult times that we’re in, but we will address the challenges we’re faced with.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said people do not feel safe in parts of Dublin’s inner city.
She repeated her call for Ms McEntee and Mr Harris to quit.
“The truth is the Minister and the Commissioner have failed to resource gardaí correctly. They have failed to bring forward plans for the safety of citizens,” she told the BBC.
“We now have a scenario where people do not feel safe in parts of Dublin’s inner city – that includes children going to school, their parents and grandparents dropping them off, it includes people going to work, people who visit the city, and we are now at a point where the positions of the Minister and the Commissioner are simply untenable.”
She added: “We have asked for resources, we have asked for planning, we have asked for leadership, and those in charge have failed, and now they have to be held to account, and we move to resourcing gardaí, resourcing our communities and ensuring that children can go to school safely and that people can go about their lives in the capital city without fear of the violence that we saw.”
Minister for Children and Integration Roderic O’Gorman has said security measures at accommodation centres for refugees had been stepped up in recent days.
He told RTÉ: “We do have strong protocols in terms of engagement with An Garda Síochána if there is any threat to our accommodation. This weekend has been a difficult time for any migrant in this country.”
