Anti-Asylum Seeker Protesters Rally Through Newtownmountkennedy with Chants of ‘Newtown Says No’

Anti-asylum seeker protesters took to the streets of Newtownmountkennedy in Wicklow, marching against the planned housing of asylum seekers near the town. Asylum seekers near the city.

This afternoon, videos and pictures posted on social media show a large group of people carrying Irish flags, signs, and banners. The group has been chanting, “Newtown says no,” and “Whose streets? Our streets”. 

The banner at the head of the march reads: “Ireland is our homeland; we will not be replaced. No plantation, send them back.” 

The use of the word “plantation” about buildings and campsites housing asylum seekers is commonly found among those in Ireland who adhere to the white nationalist ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory. Also heard among the crowd were calls to “protect our women and children”. 

Some locals have expressed concerns about the quality of the planned accommodation facilities, arguing that they are not fit for people to stay in. In contrast, others oppose the presence of asylum seekers in their town.

Newtownmountkennedy has been the site of public disorder and protests in recent weeks that came to a head on Thursday night when gardaí made five arrests and used pepper spray on people they said were trespassing on the site of a disused former school, which has been earmarked for asylum seeker accommodation. 

Police officers, known as Gardaí in Ireland, have been attempting to escort workers onto a property to make arrangements for asylum seekers to stay there. However, protesters have been trying to block their way.

The Gardaí have reported that they were “attacked” by some of the protesters, who included both locals and individuals who had come from further afield. Videos circulating online depict violent clashes between the police and members of the public that occurred on Thursday night. Moreover, a fire has been set near an outbuilding on the edge of the property.

Four people have been charged following those arrests, three men and one woman, for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. They appeared in court yesterday. 

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said earlier in the week that “very unacceptable scenes were seen here in terms of a protest, which then turned to violence”.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “Any attack on a member of a Garda Siochana is an attack on our democracy and our state.

Gardaí have my full support in their work & while peaceful protest is a right we all value, we will not tolerate vandalism and attacks on Gardaí.”