Coolock: Second fire at north Dublin site after protest

Firefighters in Dublin have brought a “small fire” under control at a site in Coolock that was being renovated to accommodate asylum seekers.

It is the second night in a row that the former Crown Paints factory on the Malahide Road in the city has been on fire.

Dublin Fire Brigade was alerted at about 19:30 on Thursday.

At the same time gardaí (Irish police) said they were responded to a public order incident in the area.

Riot police were deployed and An Garda Síochána said officers were “subjected to both verbal and physical abuse including rocks, concrete bricks and other objects being thrown at them.”

As this intensified, gardaí said they were “required to use force to defend themselves while continuing to adopt a graduated approach to policing, with enforcement as a last resort.”

They used incapacitant spray and the ASP baton.

Three officers have been injured and one was taken to hospital for treatment for facial injuries.

One man in his 20s has been was arrested over public order offences.

An Garda Síochána said it was aware of a “significant degree of disinformation and inaccuracy in circulation regarding events at this location”.

They have asked that people “independently verify any of this information shared online via social media and/or through messaging apps.”

Earlier on Friday there had been a protest outside the building over its proposed use for asylum seekers.

RTÉ has reported that it was attended by more than 1,000 people and gardaí said it passed off peacefully.

A section of the Malahide Road was closed but has now reopened.

On Thursday The Dublin Fire Brigade brought a fire, which it is understood is being treated as arson, under control.

The site at Coolock in North Dublin was being renovated to become accommodation for asylum seekers.

Work had been due to begin on the Malahide Road site later in the week.

It had been the centre of protests and violence earlier in the week over the plans.

On Monday protestors took to the site after machinery and pallets were set alight causing a large fire.

More than 200 gardaí were deployed.

Three Garda cars were damaged, one of which was set on fire.

It said pepper spray was used by police as a security guard and a number of gardaí were injured during clashes with protesters.

Petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown, mattresses were set on fire damaging a JCB and fires were lit on the roads during the disturbances.

Gardaí described the disturbances as a public order incident and the road was closed for a period.

Twenty-one people were arrested and charged, 15 of whom appeared in court on Monday and six on Tuesday afternoon.