Thousands of people have marched in Dublin at a national rally opposing the government’s immigration policies and what organisers say is Ireland’s unnecessary implementation of the EU Migration Pact.
The demonstration, which began at 2 pm at the Garden of Remembrance, attracted supporters from across the country carrying Irish tricolours and banners calling for stronger border controls and greater national sovereignty. The event continued with a march through the city centre before concluding with speeches.
The Rally for Ireland is part of a series of public demonstrations that organisers say reflect widespread concern over immigration levels, housing pressures, public services, and the transfer of decision-making powers to Brussels.
Gardaí maintained a visible presence throughout the event, with the march proceeding peacefully despite earlier warnings of clashes with attendees at the Dublin Pride parade occurring at the same time.
Speaking to online publication The Flare before the rally, Dublin City Councillor Malachy Steenson said the demonstration was about defending Ireland’s democratic right to determine its own immigration policy.
“The EU Migration Pact is just another tool to take border sovereignty further out of the hands of the Irish people. It should be called the ‘EU Replacement Pact.’”
Among those attending were Dublin City councillors Gavin Pepper and Philip Sutcliff, in addition to Cllr Steenson as well as youth representatives from the National Party, who joined supporters for the rally and march.
Organisers said the rally demonstrated that many Irish people feel excluded from the national conversation on migration and believe public concern has too often been dismissed or caricatured.
Participants argued that opposition to current immigration policy should not automatically be equated with hostility towards migrants themselves, but rather reflects anxieties about housing shortages.
The demonstration follows previous large-scale immigration protests held in Dublin over the past two years, beginning originally around the East Wall asylum centre.
