Protesters remove fence against homeless people on Grand Canal and clash with Gardaí – The University Times
The coalition group Take Back Our Spaces has once again torn down barriers on the Grand Canal in Dublin following a protest outside the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
A group of Gardaí were close to the group on the Grand Canal and rebuilt the fence that the protesters had removed. The protesters then staged a sit-in on the barriers to prevent the Gardaí from putting the fence back up.
Labour MP Ivana Bacik was present at the start of the protest and spoke sympathetically of Take Back Our Spaces to the press. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Bacik said the group is “calling on the Government to provide #HomesNotFences – and calling on @waterwaysirelan to remove the security fencing along the #GrandCanal”.
The public body Waterways Ireland erected the fence on Dublin’s Grand Canal to prevent homeless people and applicants for international protection from seeking shelter and camping on the river bank.
Waterways’ official website states: “Waterways Ireland has serious concerns about the safety and health of people camping in tents on the canal” and that the Waterways Ireland group has consulted with the public and will provide regular updates on the situation.
Waterways Ireland confirmed to the Irish Independent that over 100 formal and informal complaints have been made about the Grand Canal and that the maintenance of the fencing €30,000 per week.
According to RTÉ, a total of 2,391 people seeking international protection in Ireland are currently homeless, as the Irish Department of Integration speaks of a severe shortage of accommodation.
