LAST UPDATE | 22 Oct

SIX PEOPLE HAVE been arrested and one officer was injured in the course of a mass riot outside the Citywest complex in West Dublin, gardaí have confirmed. 

A Garda van was set alight and gardaí were repeatedly targeted with missiles outside the hotel in the suburb of Saggart.

It followed a protest organised in the wake of the alleged sexual assault of a young girl in the area in recent days.

The protest turned increasingly violent throughout the evening and a Garda statement released late tonight said officers were subjected to sustained attacks. 

“This was not a peaceful protest. The violence exhibited was thuggery and an attempt to intimidate and injure,” the statement said. 

“During the evening there were sustained attacks on Garda cordons, including physical violence, bricks thrown and fireworks discharged at Garda members and the arson of a Garda van.

“Bins with hundreds of used glass bottles in the area were emptied and contents used as missiles.”

The statement said attempts to breach the Garda cordon were made by charging the line with horse-drawn sulkies. People were seen by officers carrying garden forks and tools “and damaging walls in the locality to obtain missiles”.

In a move security sources regard as a worrying display of organisation on the behalf of the rioters, the Garda helicopter was targeted with lasers as it flew overhead.

Tonight’s statement said that one member of An Garda Síochána had received medical attention for a foot injury. Sources said it was a female garda.

Investigation

The six arrested were detained primarily for Public Order Offences. It’s likely further arrests will follow as gardaí review footage and launch an investigation into the unrest. 

“An Garda Síochána had a policing operation in place for this public gathering organised by disparate groups on social media, who stir up hatred and violence and encourage and entice others to get involved,” the statement said. 

300 gardaí were on duty in the area, including over 125 uniform members and 150 Public Order Unit members. Water cannon were deployed to the scene and the Mounted Unit and Dog Unit were also present. 

Public order units were deployed in full protective gear and pepper spray was used to repel attacks, gardaí said. 

An investigation has been commenced and a Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed, the statement added. 

“An Garda Siochana facilitate peaceful protest on a daily basis. This was obviously not a peaceful protest. The actions this evening can only be described as thuggery. This was a mob intent on violence against Gardaí,” Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said.

“I utterly condemn the attacks on Gardaí who did their jobs professionally and with great courage to keep people safe.”

He added: “We will now begin the process of identifying those who committed crimes and we will bring those involved in this violence to justice.”

Earlier Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said that the scenes outside the Citywest site “must be condemned”.

O’Callaghan added that there is no ongoing threat to public safety in Saggart in relation to the alleged sexual assault and that no correlation exists between crime levels and the presence of asylum seeker accommodation.

A 26-year-old man, who cannot be named because of the nature of the case, appeared in court today in relation to the alleged incident.

In a separate statement tonight Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there could be no justification for “the vile abuse” against gardaí and that the attacks on members of the force would shock all right-thinking people.

- With reporting by Niall O’Connor