Irish police arrested 23 people on Wednesday after bottles, bricks, and fireworks were thrown at officers during a protest outside the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, southwest of Dublin. Two officers were hospitalized with head and arm injuries.
The violence followed six arrests the previous night, when a police van was set on fire. Monday’s initial protest had been peaceful.
The unrest was sparked by a 10-year-old girl’s report that she had been sexually assaulted by a 26-year-old African man who has been living in Ireland for six years, had been refused international protection last year, and was slapped with a deportation order back in March.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan denounced the “thuggish violence” and warned of further arrests. Prime Minister Micheál Martin also condemned the attacks and “vile abuse” toward police, calling the alleged assault “extremely serious.”
Police said Tuesday’s unrest was orchestrated by groups on social media “who stir up hatred and violence.”
Ireland and the UK have seen growing anti-immigration unrest, with hotels housing asylum seekers becoming frequent flashpoints.
The rising level of frustration among the Irish is not incomprehensible, given that, as europeanconservative.com columnist Lauren Smith wrote on Wednesday,
there is a remarkable reluctance within the Irish establishment to address why these protests keep happening. … And, while the rest of the country is currently experiencing a painful housing shortage that sees rents and mortgages skyrocketing, the government is paying roughly €1 billion to privately house asylum seekers.
