An attack on a group of homeless migrants living in a camp in Dublin has "the feel and look of a racist attack", the Taoiseach has said.
Gardai were alerted to an incident on River Road in Ashtown at around 12.45pm on Saturday. A number of men reported attacked the camp with sticks, dogs, and a baseball bat.
When asked for a reason, the men claimed that the residents had been involved in a separate alleged assault, the Irish Times reports. The residents of the camp have since abandoned it.
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told Newstalk that he will seek a report from the gardai on the matter. He said: “Obviously, I’ve heard the reports in the media.
“I don’t have the report from the Gardaí yet but I am going to seek one. I am always reluctant to comment on something without knowing the full facts but it has the feel and look of, essentially, a racist attack.
“These are people who are foreigners. People who were sleeping rough. I think it requires a full investigation by the Gardaí and it is something that I am going to pursue with them."
A protest against the attack will take place at Ashtown Station at 6pm this evening. It is being organised by former TD Ruth Coppinger.
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