Police Injured in Dublin Anti-Immigration Riot

AFP/APP

London: Three police officers were injured during the latest anti-immigration protests at a site in Dublin designated for housing asylum seekers.

This incident, which marks the latest in a series of clashes over the past week, saw a fire break out at the construction site in a northern suburb of the Irish capital.

Authorities reported that a public gathering initially took place peacefully on Friday but escalated into public disorder.

The Garda, Ireland’s national police force, faced both verbal and physical abuse, including being pelted with rocks, concrete bricks, and other objects. In response, officers used pepper spray and batons to defend themselves.

The three injured officers were reported to be recovering on Saturday. A man in his 20s, arrested during the unrest, was later released without charge. Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee condemned the violence, emphasizing that attacks on police are serious criminal offenses.

The violence follows a recent episode of unrest at a site intended to accommodate around 500 asylum seekers in Coolock, where at least 21 people were arrested after police vehicles were attacked and machinery set on fire earlier this week.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris labeled the violence “reprehensible” and “criminal.”

The unrest is part of a broader trend of rising far-right sentiment amid the government’s struggle with increased asylum-seeker arrivals and a housing shortage.

Last November, central Dublin experienced riots after a knife attack on schoolchildren by an Irish citizen of immigrant background, fueled by far-right social media accounts.

Arson attacks on buildings planned for asylum seekers have also surged, with several dozen incidents reported since 2023.