Families living at IPAS accommodation in Dublin that was at the centre of violent protests last month are enduring ongoing “intimidation” and “harassment” by people gathered at the entrance, they and local school staff say.
The harassment has included being filmed and verbally abused coming and going from the Citywest international protection accommodation service centre. It has also included children being told to “go home” and having items like footballs taken from them, and witnessing their parents being called derogatory names.
Alleged victims say the abuse has increased since the riots outside the centre in late October.
Ronan Murphy, a second class teacher at Scoil Aoife community national school in Citywest, says children continue to bring stories of harassment to the morning “news” segment of the school day, when children share what they have noticed in the previous few days.
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“I am hearing stories from the children about violent things that are happening in the community. They often don’t really understand what’s happening ... There is an awareness that there are ‘scary people with masks’ and I have heard reports on the violence,” he says.
One Ukrainian mother, who wished to remain anonymous, says gardaí failed to intervene when her car was circled by five people, some waving Irish flags, as she returned to the Citywest hotel with her 12-year-old daughter.
During the alleged incident at about 8.30pm on November 3rd she says protesters blocked her car’s entry to the hotel.
“They surround our car and they shout; ‘Get out. This is our street’ and ‘You bitch’ and my daughter hears this and my daughter scared and started cry.” At least three people were filming her car as they blocked the entrance, she says.
“The man video my car, my car number. My daughter was sitting in the back and she is feeling not safe. They take a video close up of her face.”
She said she beeped her horn to try to attract gardaí standing nearby to help her. She then got out of her car and approached a garda, asking them to move those blocking the entrance.
“I ask them, ‘Help me please, help for my daughter’ and they don’t move. They only told me to drive slowly. But how can I drive slowly when they put their feet under the wheels [of the car]?”.
She returned to her car and began filming those filming her “as defence” she says. The situation escalated. They began kicking her car, she says. When a garda then approached she says she was told to stop filming the protesters and to delete her video.
She has submitted a three-page complaint to Clondalkin Garda station outlining what happened and asking: “What assistance can gardaí patrolling the Citywest Hotel area provide to residents in situations where there is a direct threat to their safety?”
She also asked “How can Citywest residents protect themselves and their children in such circumstances?”
She has had no response from the gardaí yet.
An African father, who also wished to remain anonymous, has lived in the Citywest area for over a decade.
“Even before [the riots] racism is on the rise, but since then it is like hunting season against coloured people, the gloves are off. There is more abuse of children – like white teenagers attacking coloured kids. If kids are out playing football teenagers come and take the ball, say: ‘This is our country. F**k off.”
Immigrant parents are less likely to let their children play outside alone in recent week, he says. He knows of an Irish-born teenager of Sudanese heritage who was “badly beaten” recently.
“We tried with the Garda, they say there is nothing they can do. We ask what can we do when our kids are attacked. Our kids are saying that they don’t feel safe.”
During the riots over two nights – October 21st and 22nd – school attendance dropped as parents kept children home, says Mr Murphy.
In the following days he heard children discuss the riots. “They told me about fires and people throwing things. I do get the sense the age group I teach don’t understand it’s directed at them, which is kind of reassuring but on another level it’s not something they should be subjected to or be sharing for their ‘news’.
“We are trying to make the children feel safe in school as a priority – attendance is a big emphasis in the school – to be happy here, but something like this is not helpful.
“I do not see why anyone verbally abusing families is allowed anywhere near the hotel. These are horror stories and I am appalled that kind of situation would be allowed to arise at all.”
Gardaí have been contacted for comment.
A spokesman for the Department of Justice, which oversees management of IPAS and Ukrainian refugee accommodation, said: “The safety and wellbeing of all residents and staff at the [Citywest] campus is the highest priority for the Department.
“We are working closely with An Garda Síochána, keeping security arrangements at the campus under ongoing regular review.”
