Fireworks launched at gardaí, Garda van set alight, in clash with protesters at Citywest
James Cox
A Garda van was set on fire and fireworks were launched at gardaí as hundreds of people protested outside the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin this evening.
Around 500 people gathered outside the complex that is used to accommodate asylum seekers.
At around 7.30pm this evening trouble erupted as a number of youths in balaclavas and on horseback surrounded gardaí, according to witnesses on the scene.
The Public Order Unit was then deployed and pepper sprayed was used as the protest turned violent.
The Luas between Belgard and Saggart has also been suspended.
The anti-immigration protest comes as Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said there is no ongoing threat to public safety in Saggart and no correlation between crime levels and the presence of asylum seeker accommodation centres.
In a statement tonight, the Minister said he has been briefed on recent events in the area and has asked for a detailed account of the management of the asylum application process in the case.
It is the second night in a row a protest has been held outside the hotel, which is being used as state accommodation for people seeking international protection.
Monday night’s demonstration passed without significant incident.
The gatherings outside the hotel come after an alleged sexual assault in the vicinity in the early hours of Monday morning.
There’s now a massive Garda presence in the area, with the Garda helicopter overhead as gardaí try to disperse the protest.
Gardaí with public order equipment, helmets and shields, have pushed back protestors, who have surrounded the Citywest IPAS centre shouting "get them out".
In a second statement this evening, Mr O'Callaghan said the "scenes of public disorder we have witnessed at Citywest tonight must be condemned".
"People threw missiles at Gardaí, threw fireworks at them, and set a Garda vehicle on fire. This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the Gardaí. Those involved will be brought to justice.
"As has been made clear during the day, a man has been arrested and charged before the courts in relation to the alleged incident. While I am not in a position to comment any further on this criminal investigation, I have been advised that there is no ongoing threat to public safety in the area."
He added: "Unfortunately, the weaponising of a crime by people who wish to sow dissent in our society is not unexpected. The Gardaí are prepared for this, but attacking Gardaí and property is not an answer, and won’t help to make anyone feel safe.
"It is clear to me from talking to colleagues during the day and this evening 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.
"Attacks on Gardaí will not be tolerated. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Violence is not. There is no excuse for the scenes we have witnessed tonight."
Speaking on the final presidential debate on RTÉ, Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys said "this is not who we are as a country" as she encouraged the protesters to go home.
