The demonstration was motivated after a 10-year-old girl was raped, with the main suspect being a 26-year-old asylum seeker.
The Irish police detained six people following violent clashes outside a hotel in Dublin that welcomes asylum seekers, after a man was detained on suspicion of raping a 10-year-old girl.
Protests took place on Tuesday night outside the Citywest Hotel in the Saggart area of south-west Dublin, where hundreds of protesters gathered. According to RTÉ, even 2000 people participated in the demonstrationsome with Irish flags and posters with anti-immigration messages.
What began as a peaceful protest quickly escalated, with participants throwing fireworks, bottles and bricks at police and set fire to a police carreports .
The Garda Síochána, the Irish police force, described the incident as “sustained violence”, saying officers faced a hail of missiles from the crowd. “Obviously this was not a peaceful protest. Tonight’s actions can only be described as thuggery, a mob intent on violence against the Garda,” said Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly.
The clashes occurred one day after the local press reported that a 26-year-old asylum seeker was accused of sexually assaulting the girl, who was allegedly attacked in the hotel or nearby. The Irish children and families agency, Tusla, confirmed that the victim was in state care and escaped during a supervised trip to central Dublin.
Justice and Migration Minister Jim O’Callaghan condemned the violence, accusing the agitators of exploit a tragedy to foment division. “The instrumentalization of a crime by people who wish to sow dissent in our society is not unexpected,” he said. “Those involved will be brought to justice. Attacks on Gardaí will not be tolerated. Peaceful protest is a pillar of democracy, violence is not.”
Anti-immigration demonstrations have become increasingly common across Ireland amid shortages of housing and social services. Far-right groups have amplified anti-foreign sentiment, claiming that “Ireland is crowded”.
The Dublin riots echo similar incidents in Ireland and the UK, including scenes of violence in Ballymenain Northern Ireland last summer, when two 14-year-old Romanian boys were arrested on suspicion of raping a teenage girl. In November 2023, a major riot also broke out in central Dublin when three children were stabbed outside a primary school.
