Dublin erupts again as rioters hurl bricks and fireworks at cops in second night of violence outside migrant hotel following ‘child sex assault’

Dublin was the scene of violence for a second night in a row as hundreds of rioters took to the streets to protest an alleged sexual assault by an asylum seeker.

Hundreds of protesters gathered near the entrance to the CityWest hotel in Saggart, an area on the capital’s west side where asylum seekers are being housed.

A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named due to rules applying to all sexual assault cases in the Republic of Ireland, appeared in court on Tuesday over the alleged incident.

Between 19:00 and 20:00 on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters again confronted about 40 uniformed guards.

At least 23 people were arrested amid serious disorder and Ireland’s police force, An Garda Siochana, promised a “robust response” if the violence continued.

The uniformed officers were replaced by the Public Order Unit, whose members wore plastic shields and additional body protection, after officers in the original cordon were hit with rubble, rocks and fireworks.

Some of these continued to throw walls, flares, glass bottles and wooden planks at members of An Garda Siochana.

Vandalism also occurred in the area around the Saggart Luas tram stop, which runs parallel to the road where the protesters are located.

On 22 October, as chaos broke out outside the Dublin hotel where asylum seekers were being housed, Gardai officers detained protesters near the Citywest Hotel.

Public order gardaí moved towards them with shields and moved the crowd away from the hotel.

The mounted garda unit and dog unit were at the scene, while the police helicopter also provided air support.

At least one garda was affected by tear gas.

People involved in the chaos also tried to prevent security vehicles from entering the area with steel barriers.

This is the third night of demonstrations at Citywest following an alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near the hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.

While Monday night’s demonstration passed without major incident, a female garda member was injured in Tuesday’s violence. The young man received treatment for his foot injury and was later discharged from the hospital.

A garda vehicle was also set on fire during the incidents earlier in the week.

Garda Superintendent Justin Kelly, who visited the scene following the violence, told reporters on Wednesday he was ‘determined’ that more people should be ‘brought to court to face justice’.

He said the disturbance was not a peaceful protest, adding: ‘This was an act of violence intended to damage the Citywest building and intimidate those inside.’

At least 23 people were arrested amid serious disorder on Tuesday night

A protest outside a hotel housing refugees turns violent in Saggart, southwest of Dublin, Ireland, on October 21, 2025. A protester is filming and a police car burns in the background.

The protest outside the hotel followed an alleged sexual assault against a nearby girl in the early hours of Monday morning.

Irish prime minister Micheal Martin condemned the scenes of violence, stating that there could be “no justification” for attacks on gardai.

Protesters were carrying Irish flags, chanting anti-immigration slogans and throwing missiles.

There was also an attempt to attack garda lines on Tuesday with horse-drawn, dour cars and scrambler bikes, and a police helicopter overhead was targeted with lasers.