Scuffles break out as anti-Islamisation group Pegida launches in Dublin
Scuffles broke out in central Dublin at the launch of the anti-Islamisation group Pegida.
Hundreds of campaigners, from a number of grassroots groups, came out in protest.
Dublin City Councillor Ciaran Cuffe of the Green Party tweeted of a “strong security presence” and some protesters pursued several men they believed to be Pegida members from O’Connell Street down onto North Earl Street.
The streets were particularly busy. Worried families, including children who were in the city for a Chinese New Year festival, and sports fans who had arrived for the Ireland and Wales RBS 6 Nations rugby match, saw the commotion unfold.
Pegida’s Dublin launch was among a series of Europe-wide demonstrations against the growth of Islam in Europe.
Banners declaring Love Not Hate and No To Islamophobia No To Pegida were held by protesters who came from different backgrounds.
Organisations such as People Before Profit, the Workers Solidarity Movement and Irish Muslim organisations were among the demonstrators.
Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin Lynn Boylan told an anti-racism rally on O’Connell Street: “ We are standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity to show that there is no place in Ireland for racism and Islamophobia.
“There is no place in Ireland for hate.
“We are a welcoming nation because we are no strangers to migration.”
Anti-racists later claimed victory at the GPO in preventing the Pegida Ireland launch.
The coalition which organised today’s rally against Pegida said that more than 2,000 people came out against the launch.
Shane O’Curry, Director of ENAR Ireland (European Network Against Racism, Ireland), said: "What we had to day was a show of strength in numbers from the majority of people in Ireland, black, white, asian, atheist, Muslim, Christian, feminist, Traveller, Roma, anti racist, socialist, liberal, republican, unaligned, able bodied, disabled, Trade Unionist, all speaking with one voice, resoundingly rejecting the language of hate.
"This broad, non-violent, festive and enthusiastic turnout demonstrated very loudly that there is no appetite in Ireland for the politics of Islamaphobia and bigotry. It was fitting, on this day of anti-racist mobilisations across Europe, that the GPO was held as a space for the politics of inclusion and hope and against the politics of division, violence and fear.
"The organisers would like to wholeheartedly thank all who organised, travelled and participated in making today’s rally such a huge success and for keeping the main rally peaceful. We regret hearing reports of skirmishes outside of the rally. Unfortunately, such incidents invariably accompany the Pegida phenomenon."
