Housing
Dublin’s Housing Crisis Reaches a Boiling Point
When activists occupied a long-vacant building, the police response seemed to confirm suspicion that the state is siding with landlords.
This week, Dublin blew its reputation as one of Europe’s most easygoing capitals.
On Wednesday, the city saw impromptu demonstrations that ground several central streets to a halt as angry protesters sat down and chanted. The immediate source of their anger was an ugly fight between private security guards, police, and housing activists who occupied an empty building in the city center. In that fight, police backed up security guards in beating protesters, to the point that several needed hospital treatment.