Another fire, the fourth in as many days, has been extinguished at a site earmarked for international protection applicants (IPAs) in Coolock, north Dublin.
The blaze, which appeared to begin just before 8pm on Sunday, had been brought under control in less than an hour. However, two fire tenders and other emergency vehicles remained at the site of the former Crown Paints factory on Malahide Road, Coolock, just after 9pm. A Garda presence also posted on the site as fire fighters carried out their work.
The fire occurred at the end of a calmer day at the location, which had been the scene of serious violence during clashes between between gardaí and members of the public who gathered in the area last week. The worst of the violence occurred last Monday, when 30 arrests were made, though there were also disturbances on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
Meanwhile, a number of arrests were made in Dundalk, Co Louth, after anti-immigrant protesters and a counter-protest took place on Sunday, with members of the Public Order Unit of An Garda Síochana forming a line to separate the two groups. While the protests took place without any violence, there was some arrests made afterwards arising when some people were disruptive.
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In Coolock, some 32 people have been arrested to date, with 22 suspects having already been charged and brought before the courts, including for alleged public order offences and failure to comply with Garda directions to move on.
[ Coolock unrest: Why can’t gardaí prevent fires at former Crown Paints factory?Opens in new window ]
The Public Order Unit was deployed on Tuesday, using pepper sprays and riot shields to move on people who had gathered, including those protesting against the use of the site for IPAs and many curious onlookers.
Though Malahide Road, a busy route in north Dublin, was closed at times in the last week due to the violence and fires, which are suspected arson attacks, the road remained open on Sunday night as the emergency services responded to the latest fire.
It is understood none of the blazes caused extensive damage to the facility, though the repeated nature of the incidents is an embarrassment to the Government and Garda. Furthermore, the cumulative damage caused by the fires represent a setback to efforts, yet to begin, to ready the former factory as accommodation for about 500 IPAs.
A protest camp, which was on private grounds outside the former paint factory, was established in March to block workers from renovating the property. Just before 4am last Monday a Garda operation began to clear the protesters’ camp and move in construction equipment and materials, as well as security personnel.
However, petrol bombs were thrown and an excavator was destroyed by fire. There followed clashes between gardaí – including members of the Public Order Unit – and crowds that gathered at the location on Monday and Tuesday. Gardaí used riot shields and pepper sprays during those clashes, with a further deployment of the Public Order Unit on Friday evening.
That policing operation dispersed crowds after a fire was set at the site and projectiles were thrown at gardaí.
The fires on Thursday and Friday nights caused minimal damage to the lobby area of the building. It is understood the fire on Saturday night was also relatively minor. However, the precise extent of the blaze on Sunday was being assessed.
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