In Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday night saw protesters ignite a police vehicle and throw glass bottles at law enforcement following the arrest of an individual accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Irish girl under state protection.
The unrest began outside the City West Hotel, a large complex previously a hotel and now a migrant center, where an undocumented migrant, subject to existing deportation orders, is alleged to have assaulted the girl late Sunday evening.
An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, reported that six individuals were apprehended amidst the confrontations, and a female officer sustained a foot injury.
Authorities stated their personnel faced “sustained attacks” while attempting to secure the premises. Approximately 300 police officers were deployed to the Saggart vicinity.
Observers noted some demonstrators displaying Irish flags, while others shouted “Get them out, get them out,” referring to the 2,000 migrants residing at the facility.
Police indicated that protesters threw hundreds of vacant glass bottles from adjacent refuse bins and bricks at officers, in addition to setting off fireworks. A police helicopter was illuminated by lasers, according to a spokesperson.
Individuals on horseback attempted to break through police barricades by charging at officers, police reported. Law enforcement utilized pepper spray in efforts to disperse the gathering.
“An Garda Síochána regularly accommodates peaceful demonstrations. Clearly, this particular event was not peaceful,” stated Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly. “The conduct witnessed this evening amounts to nothing less than thuggery. This was a group determined to commit violence against Gardaí.”
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin denounced the assaults on police, asserting there was “no justification for the reprehensible abuse directed at them.”
On Wednesday, he commented that the girl, who was reportedly assaulted, had not received adequate state protection, and the details surrounding the alleged incident are a source of “deep concern.”
The alleged victim was under the supervision of “Tusla,” child protection services, which stated she had left staff supervision during a scheduled recreational outing in the city center. How she encountered the suspect remains unknown.
The suspect, identified as being in his 20s and of African origin by the Irish Mirror, arrived in Ireland six years prior. He had his application for international protection denied in 2024 and received a deportation order in March, as reported by the Irish Times.
The event occurred at Citywest, a former hotel that has served as accommodation for migrants seeking international protection over the past several years.
The Irish government acquired the hotel in September for approximately $150 million, intending to convert it into a permanent migrant facility, notwithstanding numerous local objections.
Recent tensions in Ireland have persisted since November 2023, when hundreds of rioters engaged in looting, vehicle arson, and rock-throwing at police, following the stabbing of three young children outside a school, allegedly by an individual who had acquired Irish citizenship.
Last week, a 17-year-old Ukrainian individual was killed merely days after arriving in Ireland and being placed in asylum care managed by Tusla. A Somalian youth, also an asylum seeker and identified as a minor, faces charges for the murder, RTE News reported.
A homeless foreign national was apprehended and accused of the murder of an 89-year-old Irish woman, as reported by the Irish Independent.
This Friday, Irish citizens are scheduled to cast votes to elect a new president.