Protest camps outside direct provision centres in Cork and Tipperary disbanded and removed
Protest camps outside direct provision centres in Cork and Tipperary which became flashpoints for anti-migrant sentiment were disbanded and removed this weekend.
Families are now living in the centres — Abbeyville House in Fermoy and Racket Hall in Roscrea — and to continue to protest could constitute intimidation, gardaí had warned some protesters.
Some 52 people, approximately half of whom are children, moved into Abbeyville House on Thursday.
The camp, which had been outside the former B&B for some 125 days, was taken down on Saturday night.
“A relief” is how one local described the removal of the camp.
“You couldn’t have kids living there and coming outside to see posters and banners to ‘save Abbeyville House’, it would be intimidating.
“The children are now enrolled in local schools to start after Easter.
“Most of them are primary-school age children and primary schools were undersubscribed in the area so they’ve been competing to get the new pupils.”
Flowers and Easter eggs were delivered to the new accommodation centre by well-wishing locals in recent days.
As were ‘welcome drawings’ made by children in a local primary school which were hung in the communal canteen at Abbeyville House to make the new arrivals feel welcome, despite the then-ongoing protests outside.
“What they say is true, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. I think sometimes the more people push the anti-immigrant thing it does galvanise people on the other side to do something in the opposite direction,” a local who asked not to be named said.
Anthony Cody, who was involved in the protest, said that the group decided to remove the camp yesterday.
Gardaí had warned them that they would be ordered to remove it in the coming days as continuing the protest when people were living inside could constitute intimidation.
“It was never set up to intimidate anyone. It was just set up because we were afraid for 56 males going in there,” he said.
The camp, which was stationed outside the period property was manned since November by people in protest at the building’s proposed use as a direct provision centre.
The building had been vacant and had not been used as a B&B for some years.
Some people said that they were against the building being used to shelter people seeking refuge in Ireland because they felt it was unsuitable as a listed structure.
Others were influenced by an anti-immigrant, far-right, nationalist movement, some of which has been known to spread misinformation, fear and hate.
Local group Fermoy and Mallow Against Division, which “come together to build positive community of connection” released a statement on Sunday welcoming the end of the protest.
“The town can now move forward into a new phase of trying to pull the community back together,” it said.
“Many of the families who have come to Abbeyville this week will likely stay living in Fermoy and the surrounding areas for many, many years to come.
“The kids will be in our schools, join our local teams and parents will work alongside us, volunteer and participate in local groups.
A controversial protest outside a hotel in Roscrea was also disbanded this weekend.
The protest at Racket Hall hotel, which began in January and made international headlines, ended on Sunday morning.
The former hotel is now accommodating some 160 asylum seekers, including children.
Ireland has been struggling to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers during a housing crisis created by years of under-investment in affordable housing following the devastating 2008 financial crash and policies which have permitted many buildings to fall into dereliction. A record 13,531 people accessed emergency accommodation in January, including 4,027 children, according to Department of Housing figures.
The State has been turning to the private sector to rent hotel rooms and B&Bs as an emergency response while trying to house some Ukrainian refugees, asylum seekers and homeless people in Ireland.
