Newtownmountkennedy protest: McEntee defends gardaí after clashes with protesters at site earmarked for asylum seekers

A screengrab from a social media posting shows gardaí and protesters near a site in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow earmarked for asylum seekers.. Photograph: X/Twitter

The protesters, however, accused gardaí of using heavy-handed tactics as they sought to facilitate the entry of workers to the site in Newtownmountkennedy which theIn a statement, the protesters said what had happened was “a disgrace and should never have happened” but said the problem had been the Government had “bullied the people of Newtown to force a hugely unpopular immigration policy on them”.

The six arrested, reported to be four men, a woman and a minor, are said to have been held overnight. An Garda Síochána could not confirm on Friday morning whether they were to be charged. The force said it would issue an update over the course of the morning. In its statement, the force said about 50 gardaí, including members of the public order unit, had been at the site late on Thursday evening and that “as the situation has intensified, members of An Garda Síochána used force to defend themselves as part of an escalated response to the situation.

“Any Garda activity in relation to evolving events involves a graduated policing response taking into account relevant legislation and public safety, with enforcement as a last resort,” it said. It is understood that the intention had been to place 20 eight-person tents at the Trudder House site, which has been targeted for protests since its intended use as accommodation first became public six weeks ago.

An-Garda-Siochana Wicklow Immigration

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