MASS EVICTION COMES TO DUBLIN

MASS EVICTION COMES TO DUBLIN

Just as night must follow day a city that cannot provide affordable housing for its citizens will see a rise in homelessness. It follows on from this that if the same city has buildings lying empty and those building can be made liveable, then inevitably people will move in and turn those buildings into homes.

In Grangegorman, a sight left derelict since the downturn has, over the last two years, been converted and made liveable. The space holds three houses, three office buildings, a number of warehouses and a courtyard. At first people moved into the abandoned houses that face the street before, over time, expanding back into the wider site. Over time the residents converted the old buildings and created an art space and community garden as well as living quarters for some thirty residents.

At 6.30 am, last Monday morning a large contingent of Garda and construction workers as well as many as forty employees of a private security company (Las security) arrived at the Grangegorman site. They then proceeded to cut through the main gates before erecting fencing around the homes of residents

No court order had been granted, nor was there a bailiff or sheriff appointed by a court in attendance. All the occupants received  was a letter from Luke Charleston, which explained he had been appointed statutory receiver of the properties of NAMA and had authorised  Aiden Devlin of Las Group to act as an agent on his behalf.

The residents claim to have been threatened and intimidated by security, as well as, been fenced off from their homes. At one point, in an incident that appears to be supported by film taken at the scene, residents were trapped between two pieces of fencing that were been pushed against them by security men. All these events took place in the presence of An Garda Siocana.

By night-time Las security, in their eagerness to oversee the erection of permanent spiked fencing managed, in a scene more suited to an episode of the keystone cops, to actually fence themselves into the site.

At this point, with the only vehicle exit being 2 x 4 meter high gates occupied by protesters, the men of Las security decided to force their way out. The protesters sitting atop the gates claim to have been attacked with iron bars by security men who then forced the gate open and in the process caused one protester to fall onto the ground. He was later brought by ambulance to the Mater hospital and treated for a serious leg injury.

Having at this stage succeeded in opening the gate a van then attempted to drive through a crowd that had gathered around the entrance. Film shot at the scene captures this moment and shows the protesters banging on the windshield of the vehicle in an effort to make it stop. A number of people were treated by paramedics at the scene as a result of this incident.

Only at this point did the Gardai intervene in an effort to de-escalate the situation. Eventually a deal was brokered allowing the vehicle to leave on condition all the security men left with them.

Having secured their homes the residents have obtained a high court injunction and have, for the moment, avoided eviction.

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