Six individuals have been arrested after Irish police officers came under attack with bricks, fireworks, and glass bottles during a violent protest outside a Dublin hotel accommodating asylum seekers.
The unrest occurred on Tuesday evening at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, where demonstrators clashed with Gardaí (Irish police).
A police vehicle was set ablaze, while a line of riot officers successfully prevented the crowd from reaching the hotel.
According to Gardaí, protesters tried to breach their cordon by charging the line with horse-drawn sulkies (carts).
Some wielded garden forks and tools, while others damaged nearby walls to create makeshift projectiles.
The police helicopter was also targeted with laser beams, and a female officer sustained a foot injury requiring medical attention.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly condemned the violence, saying, “The actions can only be described as thuggery. This was a mob intent on violence against gardaí. I utterly condemn the attacks on gardaí who did their jobs professionally and with great courage to keep people safe.”
Kelly disclosed that around 300 officers were deployed, with nearly half drawn from the public order unit. The operation also involved mounted police, a dog unit, and the use of a water cannon.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that several thousand people gathered near the hotel during the disturbance.
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin denounced the attacks, insisting there was “no justification for the vile abuse against them, or the attempted assaults and attacks on members of the force that will shock all right-thinking people.” He added, “I pay tribute to the frontline gardaí who acted courageously and quickly to restore order.”
Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris also condemned the violence, stressing that “there is no excuse for this type of violence and thuggery against the men and women who serve to protect us and victims of crime every day.”
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan described the scenes as “unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the gardaí,” adding that “those involved will be brought to justice.”
He further stated, “It is clear to me from talking to colleagues that this violence does not reflect the people of Saggart. They are not the people participating in this criminality, but rather the people sitting at home in fear of it.”
During the final Irish presidential debate, candidate Heather Humphreys condemned the incident, calling it “absolutely awful.” She said, “This is not what we are as a country.”
Her opponent, Catherine Connolly, described the scenes in Saggart as “very upsetting,” warning that “we need to be careful in this country” about growing divisions.
RTÉ’s crime correspondent, Paul Reynolds, said Gardaí believe the disturbance was “pre-planned, but they were also more prepared” than during the Dublin riots of 2023. He noted that officers were equipped with stronger incapacitant sprays and water cannon, though “the threat of it was enough to disperse the crowd last night.”
Reynolds added that the violence was more contained, confined to the area outside the hotel, unlike the citywide unrest of two years ago. “Last night the gardai clearly had a plan,” he said.
He also confirmed that detectives have begun reviewing “very good quality” CCTV and bodycam footage to identify additional suspects involved in the violence.
