Asylum seekers in County Wicklow are “shaking like a leaf” in fear for their safety after last night’s protest, a local activist has claimed.

Some six people were arrested, and four later charged, after Gardaí and protestors clashed in Newtownmountkennedy outside accommodation earmarked for asylum seekers.

On The Hard Shoulder today, a report by Newstalk's Josh Crosbie found out what’s been going on in the town today after last night's events.

Josh said the town was “tense” today, with glass strewn on the streets and signs reading ‘Newtown Says No’ dotted here and there.

United Against Racism founder Bernie D’Arcy told him asylum seekers in the area are fearful for their safety.

“This is the first time I’ve come across pure fear, they are shaking like a leaf,” she said.

“They’re afraid of going into communities where people are protesting against them; they’re coming for refuge, not to take people’s houses or jobs.

“I doubt they would feel safe as individuals to walk down the street in case they were attacked.”

She said people who support asylum seekers are also getting “dog's abuse”.

“I could write a book of the insults I’ve got on my personal Facebook over the last few weeks,” said Ms D’Arcy.

“I could be in the shop and get an, ‘Oh look, there she is’ – it’s pure intimidation.”

Heavy-handed

Local independent election candidate John Larkin said there was a “total overreaction” by Gardaí to last night's events and that they “absolutely” should have taken a ‘step-back’ approach.

“The word in Newtown is concern more than anything, what are [the asylum seekers] going to do all day up here?” he said.

Mr Larkin said the discovery of an axe at the protest was not what it seemed.

“They found an axe there, okay, but nobody was using it,” he said.

“We have pallets and a fire and we need to break the pallets up to put into a fire - so we use the axe to do that.

“People are up there 24/7 and they need to keep warm.”

He also said a large fire at the protest happened accidentally.

“People didn’t go out of their way to start a fire; it happened by accident,” he said.

“What happened was, there was a spark that went across to the pallet and it went up [in flames].”

Tudor House

Josh was also told in Newtownmountkennedy today that a children’s training session at a GAA club had been canceled due to its proximity to where the protest happened.

The Department of Integration said it intends to use the vacant property at Tudor House to help alleviate a serious accommodation shortage for asylum seekers.

They also said a community engagement team has been established to engage with locals about their concerns.

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Main image: Gardai at the scene of last nights protest in Newtownmountkennedy. Image Josh Crosbie/Newstalk