The riot and arson in Coolock today is another shocking development driven by far right agitators and anti-refugee rhetoric. This is the third far right instigated riot in eight months, following what happened in Dublin city centre last November and in Newtownmountkennedy in April. There have been dozens of other arson attacks on properties to be used, or rumoured to be used, for refugee accommodation.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said “The Dublin riot in November and the Newtownmountkennedy riot in April were instigated by the far right. Today’s riot and arson attacks are also being instigated by the far right. Does anyone now doubt that we’re facing a sustained and escalating far-right terror campaign”.

Local People Before Profit representative Bernard Mulvany said “The chaos we see today in Coolock is not representative of how the majority who live there feel. Many work in places like Beaumount hospital alongside workers from all over the world. They are friends and are an integral part of the community, a fantastic working-class community. But known far-right agitators have been travelling to Coolock since this morning to incite violence and carry out arson attacks. Workers have been attacked and there are reports of serious injuries. That’s all the far-right have to offer”.

Conor Reddy, People Before Profit Councillor for Ballymun-Finglas and representative for Dublin North West said “The Government, the vulture funds, and the corporate landlords are the cause of the housing misery so many are facing. But the far right spread racism to blame asylum seekers instead. They don’t talk about the 160,000 properties lying empty across the land. They don’t talk about landlords hiking up rents. They don’t talk about vulture funds making huge profits. They don’t talk about how 1 in 6 TDs are landlords. The malign agitators of the far right offer no solutions to the housing crisis or the strain on public services and neglect of working-class communities in North Dublin by successive governments”.

Paul Murphy said “We urgently need a united antiracist movement, rejecting the hate of the far right and making it clear that the Government is to blame. And we need workers, trade unions, migrants, young people and more at the heart of this movement”.