Gardaí have intervened at protests against an eviction action at a property in Dublin 7.
Images dispersed on social media showed heated exchanges at the property on Prussia St in Stoneybatter as protesters gathered at the scene of what they claimed was an ‘illegal eviction’.
It’s understood a number of people had been squatting at the property, which it’s believed has been unused in relation to formal housing for a number of years, with some people claiming it was effectively a derelict site.
In a statement, Gardaí said officers from the Bridewell Station attended at a property on Prussia Street, Dublin, on Wednesday morning where a property owner, in compliance with a court order, was securing a premises and facilitating access to persons to remove personal items.
“A group of people gathered at the scene, some of whom commenced to engage in purported protest activity,” the Garda Press Office said.
“A traffic management operation was put in place and the road was closed temporarily for public safety. The matter has since concluded and the road has fully reopened to traffic.
“No arrests were made at the scene and there were no reports of any injuries, however, An Garda Síochána will carry out further investigations into certain activities arising from the incident.”
A Garda spokesperson said there would be no further comment in relation to the matter.
That Social Centre, a group operating out of Stoneybatter that has showcased workshops and events in the area, tweeted that people had been injured in the incident and that parts of the property had been damaged.
Community Action Tenants Union urged people via social media to go to the address on Prussia St following what it described as “this morning’s Gardai-heavy eviction”
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has questioned whether the garda response, which it said included a helicopter presence, was proportionate to the situation.
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