22 October 2025 , 08:43
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Six people have been arrested after Irish police clashed with hundreds of protesters outside a Dublin hotel that is used to accommodate asylum seekers following an alleged sexual assault on a young girl.
The crowd set a police vehicle on fire and threw fireworks and other projectiles at officers outside the Citywest hotel on Tuesday night.
RTÉ reported that the protesters – some of whom waved Irish flags and carried anti-immigrant placards – numbered up to 2,000 people.
The Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, stated that officers faced "sustained violence" as protesters hurled bricks, glass bottles, and fireworks, leading to the six arrests.
"This was obviously not a peaceful protest," said police commissioner Justin Kelly. "The actions this evening can only be described as thuggery. This was a mob intent on violence against gardai."
The disturbances erupted a day after a man was charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault. Local media reported that he was a 26-year-old asylum seeker and that the alleged victim was a 10-year-old attacked at or near the Citywest facility, located in the Saggart area of south-west Dublin.
A small protest outside the facility proceeded peacefully on Monday, but on Tuesday night a much larger crowd threw rocks and traffic cones. A police van was also set on fire.
Police, some equipped with riot shields, helmets, and horses, pushed the crowd back.
The justice and migration minister, Jim O’Callaghan, condemned the disturbances. "Unfortunately, the weaponizing of a crime by people who wish to sow dissent in our society is not unexpected," O’Callaghan said in a statement.
"This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the gardaí. Those involved will be brought to justice. Attacks on gardaí will not be tolerated. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Violence is not."
The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, condemned the "violent disorder" and "vile abuse" against police in a statement.
Demonstrations against immigrants and refugees have become common in recent years, with protesters accusing the arrivals of exacerbating a housing shortage and increasing violent crime. Far-right agitators have used social media and rallies to spread a message that "Ireland is full".
Rioting broke out in central Dublin in November 2023 after a man stabbed three children outside a primary school. In June, crowds targeted foreigners in Ballymena, in Northern Ireland, after an alleged sexual assault. Protests outside asylum seeker hotels and centers also spread across England this summer.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ireland’s child and family agency Tusla said the alleged victim of this week’s incident had been in state care at the time and that she had "absconded" during a trip to the city center.
Speaking in parliament, Martin acknowledged "the concern, anger, and worry of many people" over the alleged assault. "Clearly, there has been failure here in terms of the state’s obligation to protect this child."
Politics Editor