Justice Minister Simon Harris says those ‘stoking fear and hatred’ will face ‘full rigors of law’

Justice Minister Simon Harris has warned that people who are "stoking fear" and "hatred" will face the “full rigors of the law”.

Hundreds of people gathered at separate demonstrations outside Finglas and Store Street garda stations, in Dublin, yesterday evening.

The protest blocked off part of the Luas line as protesters, some holding placards, congregated outside at Store Street.

Mr Harris said the safety of everyone in Irish society must be protected, and people who threaten the safety of others will be dealt with.

“The gardaí take extraordinarily seriously, as do I... the issue of public safety and the issue of the safety of all people in this country, including people in international protection,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme.

“I’m very conscious of the fact that people have the right to protest. I’m also very conscious of the fact that people can have concerns and views, but I would say to people, please do not allow your concerns or your views be hijacked by the far-right.

“It’s absolutely clear from intelligence that there is a small number of actors in this country, travelling around from community to community, stoking fear, division and I think we’re seeing evidence of that on the streets of some of our communities.”

“It won’t be tolerated. The full rigors of the law will be applied to anybody inciting hatred, anybody breaching public order and I think you saw that in terms of the very high visibility policing operation last night,” he added.

Mr Harris’s comments come as far-right activist Graham Carey (39) was arrested at his Finglas home before yesterday’s demonstrations.

Following his arrest, Mr Carey was brought to a south Dublin garda station where he was questioned under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

In the wake of rising tensions over the housing of refugees in the area, Mr Carey posted comments on social media telling gardaí they would need “every f***ing copper in the country” ahead of protests due to take place in the northside suburb this week.

Gardaí are expected to make more arrests as officers attached to the Special Detective Unit are monitoring “upwards of 20” individuals whom they consider to be “far-right agitators”.

A source said last night: “There will be more arrests. A very close eye is being kept on certain individuals’ online activities, which is translating into problems on the ground.”

Meanwhile, yesterday Mr Harris introduced new legislation to provide garda body cams and similar cameras on garda dogs.

“We have seen a number of incidents in recent weeks where gardaí have been seriously injured. I am sure we all absolutely condemn these incidents,” he told the Dáil.

“But we have also seen threatening behaviour from people who are intent on sowing division in our society.”

Such individuals have not only intimidated and threatened people seeking Ireland’s help, “they have also, in some instances, sought to intimidate and threaten the gardaí who are protecting all of our communities,” he said.

“This will not be tolerated.

“The gardaí will always have the full support of the Government, and the introduction of body-worn cameras would enable the gathering of evidence on “such thuggish behaviour and secure convictions”, Mr Harris said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to condemn in the strongest possible terms all recent attacks on members of An Garda Síochána.

“We must do everything in our power to prevent and discourage such attacks.”

People will have seen the effective use of bodycams in other jurisdictions, he said.

“This technology has the potential to deter attacks on Garda members and, where attacks do occur, it can provide strong evidence to bring perpetrators to justice,” said Mr Harris.

Speaking this morning, Minister Harris said whether or not the body cams will be equipped with facial recognition technology is currently “an open question”, however, he backed the use of facial recognition.

“If used appropriately, if enough safeguards are in place [it] can provide real added value,” he said.