Gardaí help to disband ‘tent city’ at Grand Canal as protesters attend scene

GARDAI physically removed protesters while they disbanded a ‘tent city’ by Dublin’s Grand Canal this morning.

The camp, on the north side of the Grand Canal at Charlemont Place in Dublin, contained around 60 tents and had been growing since camps elsewhere continued to be removed.

There were around 20 Gardai involved in the removal of the migrant camp in an operation that began at 7am this morning.

The 60 tents which were being lived in by asylum seekers were close together under blue tarpaulin sheets. There were no sanitation facilities nearby the camp.

Gardai placed metal barriers on both sides of the road.

Gardai reportedly told the asylum seekers they must leave the the area at around 7.30am.

Around a dozen protesters attended the scene as the asylum seekers began to gather their belongings.

In footage shared by the Irish Indepdendent, cops were seen moving protestors outside of the barriers.

In some instances Gardai lifted protesters to forcefully remove them from the make-shift encampment.

Protesters were seen telling Gardai, “I live here,” while one garda responded, “If you step inside the barrier, you are going to be arrested.”

When removed from the campsite, the protesters stood along the barrier and linked arms in silence as those living in the ‘tent city’.

After this, a group of workers dismantled the tents and collected the waste and sleeping bags left behind.

According to The Irish Independent, at 8.30am barriers were placed around the site.

A Garda spokesperson said in a statement to The Irish Sun: “An Garda Síochána carried out an operation this morning, Wednesday 10th July 2024 to remove tents from private property in Charlemont Place, Dublin 2.

“International Protection Accommodation Services staff had engaged with the occupants of the tents prior to this operation and occupants were today provided with information regarding the provision of accommodation.

“The occupants moved without incident, and any tents and debris that had been left behind were subsequently cleared by a company contracted by the property owner.”

Gardai also confirmed that a man in his 30s was arrested following the operation this morning due to a public order incident.

They continued: “Following the operation this morning, Gardaí received a report of a public order incident in the area and attended. A man aged in his 30s was arrested.

“He has been charged and will appear before the criminal Courts of Justice Dublin this afternoon, Wednesday 10th July 2024.”

These are similar to the barriers which have been placed along the Grand Canal for months as a “mitigation measure” to stop camps being set up.

The paper has reported that the asylum seekers removed from Charlemont have now moved and are building a new camp on vacant land nearby.

The camp was located close by the spot where two homeless men drowned on the canal last weekend.

Separately, Three men were arrested on Monday night after an alleged attack took place on the Charlemont migrant camp, which was located at a vacant office block.

The number of homeless asylum seekers passed 2,000 for the first time in June and has increased by 300 as of July 9.

According to figures from the Department of Integration, the number of International Protection Applicants “currently awaiting an offer of accommodation” sits at 2,326.

A spokesperson said: “Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the Department is currently not in a position to provide accommodation to all International Protection Applicants (IPAs) due to the severe shortage.”