Overview
- Gardaí described the crowd in Saggart as a violent mob of roughly 1,000 people intent on confronting officers.
- A police car was set on fire as demonstrators hurled fireworks, bottles, and stones, and lasers were aimed at a police helicopter.
- Officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and reported one officer injured in the clashes.
- The government condemned the disorder and ordered an urgent probe into the alleged assault, with the justice minister seeking a detailed report on the suspect’s asylum process.
- Police said multiple online groups helped organize the protest, reflecting a wider rise in anti-immigrant actions targeting migrant accommodations in Ireland and the UK.