For the past six months, Barry O'Kelly of RT Investigates has been filming at protests against accommodation for migrants. The programme to be broadcast tonight features views from protesters, experts on policing and political movements, and individuals developing sites for accommodation. It documents how fierce opposition has developed at certain sites, and sometimes spun out of control.
At protests at several locations the programme documents people with genuine concerns about the availability of local services - for them, and asylum seekers and others with more hardline outlooks.
On Monday 15 July, RT Investigates was inside the former Crown Paints site in Coolock as one of the largest anti-immigration protests nationwide to date exploded into rioting. The site entrance had been blocked for more than 100 days by protesters, who had set up a camp with wooden huts, couches, fridges and storage areas.Footage from the early hours in the morning captured the events that unfolded over the subsequent hours, as protests turned ever more violent with pictures of fires and clashes circulated around the world.
The dramatic footage documents the racial abuse and intimidation of workers on the Coolock site and shows how the site was overcome with agitators with one security officer knocked unconscious.
One man told the security staff: I'm going to find out where each and every one of youse live. Don't think we won't find you, cause we fking will. I've found worse c*s than you.
Another man said: You'll get f**king shot here. Making a gesture of a gun pointed to his head, he said: Bang, bang. That's what happens.
The programme documents how the crowd at the entrance grew as the early morning wore on. Go back to your country. The fences won't hold you. Dublin says no. Get the f**k out, you're a different breed.
Burn, baby burn, one man chanted in what proved to be a prophetic comment as the cameras later captured the moment a petrol bomb was thrown on site.
The programme documents the security team and the staff at the Coolock site continuously calling the Garda looking for help as they were essentially under siege.
The cameras captured agitators - some armed with poles roamed through the site, threatening and chasing after security workers, smashing windows, stealing beds, and most-visibly, setting fire to a digger. A member of the security team was hit in the head when a large pole was thrown in his direction. He was in and out of consciousness when paramedics arrived.
Outside the site entrance hours after calls had first been made about the growing violence the Garda public order units returned several hours after initially clearing the entrance to the site that morning. It was early evening before order was fully restored in the area.
In a statement to RT Investigates, An Garda S och na said the policing operation undertaken in Coolock, as with any event involving public disorder, was centred on a graduated approach and a strong tradition of policing by consent . It said over 200 members were deployed during the operation and a full investigation is now underway including the review of 3,000 hours of CCTV footage with 34 arrests having been made to date. It added three Garda were injured on the day.
Protests continued nightly over the following days. The site has been set on fire multiple times since. The developer of the site Paul Collins, spoke to RT Investigates revealing that he left the country amidst fears for his safety and that of his family.
Mr Collins has already installed houses for asylum seekers elsewhere, but he says the opposition to his plan for the north Dublin site has been different.
I'm not a guy that you easily frighten, but it's definitely more frightening, he said.
I don't understand in the sense of, you know, the hands on, the hands-off approach [by the Garda ]. Is there a law or is there not?
The former Crown Paints site is just one of 200 around the country designated for accommodating asylum applicants by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS).
Some 400 people have been arriving weekly since February seeking international protection almost double last year's figure. This year alone, a total of 25,000 people are expected to make applications for asylum, bringing the total number since 2019 to 50,000.
With the growing numbers comes a growing demand for temporary accommodation and many local communities protesting their opposition to these being located in their communities for varying reasons.
Some experts have called for law and order reform to deal with the issue. However, others have warned the problems run deeper than that.
Dr Barry Cannon of the Department of Sociology in Maynooth University said, I would resist reducing it to a public order element, .
There is a very large amount of people which feel very disenfranchised and cannot be ignored in this battle for hearts and minds.
RT Investigates- Inside the Protests, tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
ENDS
Date: 19 September, 2024
Contact: Sharon Brady, Senior Communications Manager, RT | Sharon.brady@rte.ie
More from RTE
18/08/2026
THE HEALY RAES: BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS AIRS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19 ON RT ONE AT 9:35PM
A new documentary The Healy-Raes: Blood, Sweat & Tears airs on RT One and ...
18/08/2026
Stunning Irish performances at European Athletics and Swimming Championships rea...
18/08/2026
The two-part series begins Sunday 23 August at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player
...
13/08/2026
RT 's Miriam O'Callaghan welcomed a range of specially invited guests to the National Concert Hall last week for a unique event to mark a new season wit...
11/08/2026
Hosts D ith S and Kathryn Thomas rose to the occasion on Tuesday (August 11)...
11/08/2026
A Day in May airs Wednesday 12 August at 9.35pm RT One and RT Player
A Day in May revisits the people and stories behind Ireland's historic marriage equa...
07/08/2026
The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked is also back with all the behind the scenes drama...
06/08/2026
In Time airs Monday 10 August at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In Time is the first film account of the life of D nal Lunny, one of the most influential Iri...
31/07/2026
Athletics, Camogie, the Dublin Horse Show, the FAI Cup, Golf, Hockey, the UEFA C...
31/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced Mercedes-Benz Ireland will return as the offi...
31/07/2026
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight a diverse range of arts, culture and heritage events taking place across Ireland this August. From major festi...
30/07/2026
Broadcaster John Creedon explores Ireland's rich musical heritage Sunday 2 A...
29/07/2026
RT launches Unsolved, a true crime podcast, presented by crime journalist Barry Cummins and presenter Katja Mia.
Unsolved is a weekly podcast exploring unsol...
28/07/2026
RT Raidi na Gaeltachta, RT Radio 1, RT One and RT Player to showcase the best of the reels, rhymes and rambles from Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na h ireann 202...
28/07/2026
Through a wide range of perspectives, this documentary looks at how Ireland might navigate one of the defining political questions of the future
Wednesday, Jul...
27/07/2026
Yesterday witnessed truly memorable scenes in Croke Park, bringing the curtain d...
24/07/2026
Kerry and Mayo fans Up For The Match as excitement builds in Croke Park on the e...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced Centra as the official food partner once again of The Traitors Ireland, coming to RT One and RT Player later this year.
Ce...
23/07/2026
RT Commercial today announced Honda as sponsor of Today with David McCullagh RT Radio 1, weekdays 9am 11am.
Broadcasting directly after Morning Ireland in ...
23/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce Barry Gallagher has been assigned as the new journalist covering news from Cork, Kerry and the wider Southern region
Working al...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
21/07/2026
160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026
KIN and The Walsh Sisters return
RT has today unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with a record-breakin...
20/07/2026
FIFA World Cup Final sets new RT Player record as the most-streamed single event in the platform's history
Over 1 million viewers watched live on RT 2 as ...
17/07/2026
New and returning series, live festival broadcasts, powerful documentaries and major sporting moments headline RT Radio 1's summer schedule
RT Radio 1 is...
17/07/2026
Up For The Match - Live From Croke Park this Saturday at 8pm on RT One and RT ...
17/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced DiscoverIreland.ie, as sponsor of The Traitor...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
13/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Mag Raollaigh as the new Managing Editor of Nuacht, the Irish Language News and Current Affairs service a...
10/07/2026
New RT documentary explores Irish-led efforts to build bridges in divided Cyprus
More than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs Monday 13 July
More Than a Game: Fro...
08/07/2026
Film follows the courageous fight for justice by survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries & Mother and Baby Homes
TESTIMONY airs Wednesday 22 July at 9...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
26/06/2026
A fresh look at how the Irish helped shape the foundations of the United States
...
25/06/2026
Launching today (Thursday 25 June), new RT podcast Ramble with Joe McGucken is a series of curiosity-driven conversations where actor, writer and comedian Joe ...
24/06/2026
From Cork to Limerick to Earagail:
RT is supporting 21 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this July
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight...
23/06/2026
The RT Toy Show Appeal has raised over 31 million since its inception in 2020 ...
17/06/2026
The RT Concert Orchestra will bring the timeless music of The Beach Boys to aud...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
11/06/2026
Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...
09/06/2026
These special programmes will highlight RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora
This year, RT is marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland with...
For the past six months, Barry O'Kelly of RT Investigates has been filming at protests against accommodation for migrants. The programme to be broadcast tonight features views from protesters, experts on policing and political movements, and individuals developing sites for accommodation. It documents how fierce opposition has developed at certain sites, and sometimes spun out of control.
