Twenty-three people were arrested following hours of violent clashes with police outside an asylum seeker hotel in Citywest, Dublin. Officers were struck with fireworks, stones, glass bottles and wooden planks during the third consecutive night of anti-immigration demonstrations in the Irish capital.
Two members of An Garda Síochána were hospitalised with serious injuries during Wednesday evening's violence. One officer was struck on the head with a bottle, while another sustained a shoulder injury as protesters threw flares and debris at police lines.
Trigger incident
The protests erupted following an alleged sexual assault on a ten-year-old girl near the accommodation block in the early hours of Monday morning. A 26-year-old man appeared in court and was charged over the alleged incident, though he cannot be named due to legal restrictions applying to sexual assault cases in the Republic of Ireland.
Violence has escalated dramatically over three nights of demonstrations in eastern Ireland. A garda vehicle was set on fire earlier this week, and a female officer was injured during Tuesday's protest before being discharged from hospital with a foot injury.
Government response
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan condemned the "thuggish" behaviour and vowed perpetrators would be "charged, named and dealt with relentlessly" by the criminal justice system. He confirmed that many arrests had been made and warned that "more will follow".
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly told reporters he was "determined" to bring further people "before the courts to face justice" following the violent scenes. He emphasised the disorder could not be described as peaceful protest, calling it "violence with the intent to damage the Citywest building and intimidate those within".
Police response intensifies
Footage showed Public Order Unit officials advancing with plastic shields and body protection to push crowds back from the hotel. A mounted unit, dog unit and helicopter were deployed to contain the violence, which primarily involved young adult males and teenagers.
According to police intelligence, the violence was pre-planned and coordinated online rather than spontaneous. BBC reports that police were better prepared than during the 2023 Dublin riots, with improved equipment and water cannon availability to handle the organised attacks.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin similarly condemned the demonstrations, stating there was "no excuse" for attacking officers. The protests have highlighted growing tensions over Ireland's immigration policies and asylum seeker accommodation arrangements.
Sources used: "Express", "BBC", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
