Five Men Charged Over Dublin Citywest Hotel Riots Amid Asylum Seeker Clashes

Five men were charged with public order offences following violent riots outside the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, where asylum seekers are housed. The disturbances involved attacks on Gardaí with missiles, bricks, fireworks, and lasers, resulting in injuries to a female Garda and damage including a Garda vehicle set on fire. The protests were linked to tensions arising from a recent sexual assault charge involving a local girl, with protesters chanting anti-immigration slogans and displaying Irish flags. The accused men, aged between 39 and 53, were granted bail with conditions to stay away from the Citywest Hotel and certain other locations. Authorities expressed strong condemnation of the violence, with the Taoiseach calling the attacks on Gardaí "beggars belief." The incidents highlight ongoing tensions surrounding asylum seeker accommodations in Dublin and the challenges faced by law enforcement during such public order incidents.