The violent disturbances outside the Citywest accommodation centre this week are a reminder that understandable public concerns about migration can be easily manipulated by others for their own ends.
It is worth noting that a relatively small number of people attended the demonstration and not all of them took part in violence. Many of those who did were young men and youths. There was an almost recreational aspect to the attacks on the police with fireworks, sulkies and scrambler bikes that speaks to wider issues rooted in social deprivation and disaffection. Of the 31 people arrested so far, five were teenagers.
Young men would appear to be particularly susceptible to the argument pedalled by right-wing activists that the source of their ills is an influx of migrants into the State over the last decade to the point where 16 per cent of the population are non-Irish citizens.
It is a bogus argument but the 32,000 applicants for international protection bear the brunt of it. The ease with which a relatively small number of individuals were able to capitalise on an alleged sexual assault by a foreign national to draw a violent crowd to west Dublin via social media channels shows the extent to which this narrative has taken hold.
RM Block
The measured and effective Garda response ensured the safety of the 2,000 residents of the centre but inadvertently gave the individuals behind the riot the publicity they sought to further spread their poison.
The Garda have clearly learned the lessons of the Dublin city centre riots of 2023 and now have the intelligence-gathering capacity to anticipate disturbances organised via social media.
Better intelligence meant resources could be concentrated at Citywest ahead of the protests. Improved equipment and tactics allowed gardaí to contain and disperse the crowd. Damage was limited and no serious injuries to gardaí have been reported.
The solution to the problem of far-right, anti-migrant violence is not more policing. It requires addressing the inequalities that have come with increasing prosperity. They will always provide fertile ground for those seeking radical change or personal gain. It cuts across practically every area of policy from housing, health and education to employment.
In the near term the Government should not be afraid to own the efforts it has made to reduce abuse of the international protection system and migration laws. The State has also demonstrated to its citizens this week that it will uphold its laws and shelter and protect those who have fled here from danger. It also needs to reassure them it is dealing fairly but firmly with those who seek help on false pretences. That is the way to disarm the far-right.
