Dublin has erupted into violence for the second night in a row as hundreds of riots took to the streets to protest an alleged sexual assault carried out by an asylum seeker,
Hundreds of protesters gathered near the entrance of the CityWest hotel, in Saggart, which housing asylum seekers in an area on the west side of the capital.
A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named due to rules that apply to all sexual assault cases in the Republic of Ireland, appeared in court on Tuesday charged over the alleged incident.
Between 7pm and 8pm on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters again faced off with around 40 uniformed gardai.
At least 23 arrests were made amid the serious disorder and the Irish police service, An Garda Siochana, pledged a ‘robust response’ if violence continued.
The uniformed officers were replaced with the Public Order Unit, whose members carried plastic shields and additional body protection, after officers in the original cordon were struck with debris, stones and fireworks.
Some of those continued to throw masonry, flares, glass bottles and wooden planks at An Garda Siochana members.
There was also vandalism to the area around the Saggart Luas tram stop, which runs parallel to the road the protesters were on.
Protesters throw fireworks at Gardai officers near the Citywest Hotel in Saggart on October 2022
Gardai officers detain protesters near the Citywest Hotel, as disturbances flared outside the Dublin hotel which used to house asylum seekers on October 22
Public order gardai pushed the crowd further from the hotel by advancing on them with shields.
A mounted garda unit and a dog unit were at the scene, with a police helicopter providing air support.
At least one garda was affected by pepper spray.
Those involved in the disorder also attempted to block garda vehicles from entering the area with steel barriers.
It is the third night of demonstrations at Citywest following an alleged sexual assault on a 10-year-old girl in the vicinity of the hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.
While Monday night’s demonstration passed without significant incident, a female garda member was injured during Tuesday’s violence. She has since been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment for a foot injury.
A garda vehicle was also set on fire during the unrest earlier in the week.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, who visited the scene in the aftermath of the violence, told reporters on Wednesday he is ‘determined’ that further people will be ‘brought before the courts to face justice’.
He said the disorder was not a peaceful protest and added: ‘This was violence with the intent to damage the Citywest building and intimidate those within.’
At least 23 arrests were made amid the serious disorder on Tuesday night
A protester films and a police vehicle burns in the background as a demonstration outside a hotel housing asylum seekers turns violent in Saggart, south-west of Dublin in Ireland on October 21, 2025
The protest outside the hotel came after an alleged sexual assault on a girl in the vicinity in the early hours of Monday morning.
Irish premier Micheal Martin condemned the scenes of violence, stating there could be ‘no justification’ for attacks on gardai.
Protesters were displaying Irish flags, chanting anti-immigration slogans and throwing missiles.
There were also attempts to charge the garda line with horse-drawn sulky carts and scrambler bikes on Tuesday and a police helicopter overhead was targeted with lasers.
