A crowd of several hundred anti-racism demonstrators gathered outside Leinster House yesterday to stand against the Far Right’s efforts to divide Irish society.
The rally was organised by the Solidarity Alliance against Racism and Fascism (SARF) and was supported by a wide array of faith groups, trade unions, and community groups. Demonstrators stood opposite the protest organised by the Irish Freedom Party to “defend free speech” and oppose new hate speech laws.
Tensions rose a number of times between the opposing demonstrations. According to reports, Gardaí have arrested three people in relation to the protest.
Demonstrators chanted “Listen up and listen clear: refugees are welcome here” and “Whose streets? Our streets?”. Italian demonstrators treated the crowd to the partisan song Bella Ciao and held home-made signs adorned with sardines, a reference to the “sardines” rally taking place at the same time in Rome against xenophobia in that country.
