Five charged as garda commissioner condemns 'unacceptable scenes' at Newtownmountkennedy
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Five people have been charged and are due to appear before the courts after gardaí say they came under attack while attending the scene of a fire at a disused property in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow.
The site has been mooted as a possible accommodation site for international protection applicants.
Protests have been ongoing at the site at River Lodge, also known as Trudder House, in Newtownmountkennedy in recent weeks following confirmation that the Department of Integration was assessing its grounds for the housing of up to 160 people.
Six people were arrested on Thursday night and three men and one woman have since been charged for public order offences, and are due to appear before the District Court later today.
Another man was charged and released to appear before the court at a later date.
A teenage boy has been released without charge and a referral will be prepared for the Youth Diversion Project.
A number of people gathered at the location yesterday and the situation intensified during the evening.
Members of the Public Order Unit in helmets and shields provided assistance and the use of incapacitant spray was used. There were approximately 50 Gardaí on the scene late last night.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that the events of last night and the targeting of Gardaí was unacceptable.
Speaking during a visit to the site this morning, Mr Harris said: "There were very unacceptable scenes seen here in terms of a protest, which then turned to violence."
Attacks on members of An Garda Síochána were subjected to verbal abuse and attacked with stones and rubble which was thrown from fields. Three patrol cars were damaged including broken windows and slashed tyres.
"As we can see with a normal patrol vehicle, both front window and the rear window have been smashed with an axe, not a hatchet, a full size axe," said Mr Harris.
"And also then we've had another vehicle lights broken and the Public Order vehicle with its tyres slashed.”
Justice Minister Helen McEntee has defended the actions of gardaí at the protest saying the deployment of shields and pepper spray was justified.
Ms McEntee said that Gardaí have cleared people from the Newtownmountkennedy site a number of times and they have been managing the situation.
"But it did escalate last night to a situation where you had gardaí coming under fire, where you had gardaí being attacked, and six people were arrested," she said.
"I don't think anybody looking at the pictures from last night would disagree with the approach that gardaí have taken."
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has said one Garda was injured during the incident.
In a statement, AGSI condemned the attack on its members describing the scenes as “evidence of escalating stand-offs with Gardaí which are worryingly becoming ever more frequent.” Those gathered at the entrance to the site were moved but remained gathered in the area.
Gardaí maintained a presence overnight and remain on site this morning.
A statement released on Thursday night criticised protesters who attacked gardaí.
"An Garda Síochána respects the right for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights; this right does not extend to breaches of Criminal Law, the interference with the rights of other citizens to carry out their daily activities, or to attack members of An Garda Síochána," it said.
"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."