Further disorder feared at Citywest as anti-immigration protests continue

So far, 31 people have been arrested, with dozens appearing in court. Gardaí said they expect to make further arrests and have released bodycam footage of men on horses charging the police lines. Members of the force came under sustained attack from hundreds of people on both Tuesday and Wednesday evening, with bricks, bottles and fireworks all being fired at gardaí.

Yesterday, Chief Superintendent Michael McNulty said the force is prepared for another "four or five" days of action. He also said that a "robust policing plan" is in operation against those who intend to use violence. Last night, a crowd of 50 to 75 people gathered near the Citywest centre.

A woman with a loudspeaker led the crowd in chanting: "Get them out!" There was a very heavy Garda presence, and a Garda helicopter hung overhead. The Garda water cannon remains on standby, and so too are dog units and riot squad officers, Chief Supt McNulty added, "We have a constant presence of guards in the Citywest complex and in the environs on an ongoing basis, and we will do so over the next four to five days.

"In addition, we have the capacity to escalate or graduate a response, as you’ve seen over the last two nights, when what is initially a protest or supposed to be a protest turns violent or Garda members or property come under attack, and we can provide a graduated response. We step it up."

Meanwhile, violence broke out at asylum accommodation at Basin Lane in Dublin 8 last night. Protesters flung bins, fireworks and other missiles at the door of the asylum accommodation while screaming, "Get them out!" and shouting obscenities. Further down the lane, another group overturned six wheelie bins, added wood pallets and set them on fire.

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 Gardai outside the Citywest Hotel and IPAS Centre.

The event was captured in an online clip, accompanied by a post claiming protesters were attacking the centre in support of the Citywest rioters. Gardaí later arrived to protect the Basin Lane accommodation, which has been the scene of protests this year, especially after the Government announced plans to expand it.

With disorder in danger of spreading, gardaí are also acutely aware of today’s Presidential election and a potential declaration of a winner at Dublin Castle this weekend. Assistant Commissioner for Dublin Clíodhna Richardson said a policing plan is already in place for the election, which is standard protocol. However, several security sources told the Irish Daily Mail that the unrest has become a key focus of this policing plan.

"The last few days have resulted in more discussions taking place around the security of the count centre itself," they said.

"There has also been commentary online from the usual suspects about disrupting the election in any way they can. Now, most of this, gardaí believe, has been throwaway comments, but they are all coming from the same type of people who have organised protests in the past."

Asst Comm Richardson warned that violent unrest could have devastating impacts on young people’s futures, and said several gardaí remain in hospital with injuries sustained in the melees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

She said: "This was not a peaceful protest. This was not a protest. These were people coming with a violent intention, both male and female, primarily young males. These young men and young women are making a decision that will have life-changing aspects for them down the road.

"They may not feel at the time that they were going out to cause criminal damage or violence; however, they may get swept up in it.

"In fact, we can see from November 2023, the incident in Dublin city, we now have very young people doing quite significant prison time for decisions that they made."

Yesterday, gardaí published bodycam footage of the latest violence for the first time since the equipment was introduced. It shows officers being pelted by projectiles and receiving abuse.

Chief Supt McNulty said: "It paints a very vivid picture of what our members were facing, particularly on Tuesday night when there were numerous attempts to breach our Garda cordon which weren’t successful, but it certainly showed the challenge that our members were facing."

He added that gardaí are "constantly" engaging with the community, stating:

"We’re getting huge support from the community, absolutely tremendous support from the community, that’s very much appreciated."

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, who visited the scene in the aftermath of the violence, told reporters on Wednesday that he is "determined" that further people will be "brought before the courts to face justice".

Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the violence and said there could be ‘no justification’ for attacks on gardaí. In an official statement, gardaí urged people to speak with their children, friends or family members and encourage them not to get involved in any more violence. The force said: "An Garda Síochána is appealing to the public, in particular to young males: do not get involved in public disorder incidents.

"This is not fun and games and entertainment for social media.

"The choices and reckless decisions you may make to get involved or caught up in these events may have serious consequences and adversely affect the course of your future."

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.