A Dublin charity was forced to briefly suspend its recent food run as fights broke out in their queue.
Muslims Sisters of Eire is a voluntary organisation that gives out hot meals each Friday on O'Connell Street. The group's founder Lorraine O'Connor confirmed that demand for the group's weekly food runs has risen sharply amid inflation.
Lorraine admitted on RTE's Morning Ireland that Friday's food run ran into difficulty when some people requested to move up in the line. This caused agitation amongst those who had queued since 4:30pm for a hot meal.
The charity founder told RTE: "Some of the people who moved forward were visibly unable to queue, including a person on crutches and a rough sleeper. We're trying to be fair in every way to people's needs but it became quite hostile."
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The queue normally extends from the GPO down to the Pandora on Henry Street each week. Volunteers promptly shut down the operation for 10 minutes on Friday as the situation became more volatile.
Lorraine added: "We shut down temporarily to restore order and let people know we have enough food, we just have to see to people who physically cannot stand in the queue. The situation on Friday was pretty difficult but we got over it."
The group has experienced a surge in demand due to rising costs nationwide. Lorraine said the group typically dished out 250 meals each week before the pandemic- this figure has since doubled.
Families and children are increasingly presenting at the food runs. The charity anticipates additional pressure this summer as regular volunteers travel abroad.
Muslim Sisters of Eire welcomes food donations from local restaurants to help boost their supply. Business owners can get in touch with the group via their Facebook page.
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