Violence erupted outside the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin, on Tuesday evening, October 21, 2025, as a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the area spiraled into chaos, resulting in attacks on police, arson, and multiple arrests. The events, which Irish authorities say were orchestrated by disparate groups online, have drawn widespread condemnation from government officials and prompted a major security response in the Irish capital.
The Citywest Hotel, currently serving as state accommodation for asylum seekers under Ireland’s international protection programme, became the flashpoint for unrest after reports of a sexual assault on a young girl in the vicinity in the early hours of Monday, October 20. According to BBC and RTÉ, around 2,000 people gathered outside the hotel on Tuesday evening, a crowd that included both peaceful protesters and, as police described, “violent thugs who were there purely to incite violence and promote fear.”
Gardaí (Irish police) faced a barrage of bricks, fireworks, glass bottles, and physical attacks as they tried to maintain order. The violence was not spontaneous, police say, but rather “orchestrated by disparate groups on social media, who stir up hatred and violence,” according to Garda Chief Superintendent Michael McNulty, the scene commander. Protesters attempted to breach police lines by charging with horse-drawn sulky carts and scramblers, while others targeted a police helicopter with lasers and set a Garda vehicle on fire.
About 300 officers were deployed to the scene, with half drawn from the public order unit. Mounted officers and dog units patrolled the area, and a water cannon was brought in but ultimately not used. Officers donned full protective equipment and used pepper spray to repel what Acting Deputy Garda Commissioner Paul Cleary called “sustained physical attacks.” A female Garda officer was injured during the clashes, receiving medical attention for a foot injury before being discharged from hospital.
“This was not a peaceful protest,” Chief Superintendent McNulty told RTÉ. “The violence exhibited was thuggery and an attempt to intimidate and injure.” He emphasized the orchestrated nature of the unrest, saying, “It was a violent riot driven by thugs intent on violence, and it wasn’t just an attack on Gardaí, it was an attack on community safety, and we won’t tolerate that.”
Five men, aged in their 40s and 50s, have since been charged with public order, breach of the peace, and weapons offences, and appeared before the city’s Criminal Courts of Justice on Wednesday morning. A woman in her 50s, also arrested during the disturbances, was released without charge while a file is prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to probe the incident, and detectives are reviewing CCTV and bodycam footage to identify others involved in the violence.
The area around the Citywest Hotel remained cordoned off on Wednesday, October 22, with a heavy Garda presence and several lorry loads of steel barriers and fencing arriving at the scene. Families, including schoolchildren, living at the hotel under the government’s asylum programme, found themselves at the center of a major security operation as authorities sought to restore calm and prevent further escalation.
Irish officials have spoken out forcefully against the violence. Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, addressing the Dáil (parliament) on Wednesday, expressed gratitude to Gardaí for “their bravery, courage and professionalism in dealing with a very, very serious and grave situation last evening.” He added, “The Gardaí come from our community. They are there to protect us all. It beggars belief that these people would articulate such vile abuse, and would then attack them in a very serious way.” Martin insisted that “our criminal justice system needs to hold the people responsible for last evening to account,” and wished the injured officer a swift recovery.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan echoed the Taoiseach’s sentiments, stating, “I want the people involved in that violence to know that they will be met with a very forceful response from An Garda Síochána and our criminal justice system.” He further remarked, “People threw missiles at Gardaí, threw fireworks at them and set a Garda vehicle on fire. This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the Gardaí. Those involved will be brought to justice.” O’Callaghan also highlighted the dangers of “weaponising” crime to sow dissent, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.
Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Harris condemned the events as “violent thuggery,” saying, “There is understandable shock and horror right across our country over the alleged incident that is now before the courts. The full facts must and will be established as people rightly expect. But there is no excuse for this type of violence and thuggery against the men and women who serve to protect us and victims of crime every day.”
Police officials emphasized that while peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy, violence is not. Acting Deputy Commissioner Cleary told RTÉ, “Gardai will always support and facilitate people’s right to peaceful protest but what we witnessed last night went beyond that.” He pledged a “relentless pursuit” of those responsible, adding, “We know that even though people may have been wearing hoods or masks, we still have the ability to identify them and bring them before the courts, and we will pursue that relentlessly.”
RTÉ’s crime correspondent Paul Reynolds noted that, in contrast to the 2023 Dublin riots, police were “more prepared” this time, with better equipment, stronger incapacitant spray, and a readiness to deploy water cannon—though the mere threat of its use was enough to disperse the crowd. “The violence was more self-contained, because there was a particular area and location outside the hotel where these demonstrators, protesters and violent agitators had gathered,” Reynolds told BBC Radio Ulster. “So it was concentrated in one area, unlike the Dublin riots of two years ago, where sporadic violence broke out in so many different parts of the city and it took far longer to contain that. Last night the Gardaí clearly had a plan.”
Public transport in the area was also affected, with Luas Red Line services between Belgard and Saggart suspended ahead of the protest. The glass at the Saggart Luas stop was later smashed during the unrest, adding to the damage caused by the night’s events.
As the clean-up began on Wednesday, officials and community leaders called for calm and urged the public not to allow criminal elements to exploit genuine concerns or tragedies for their own ends. The investigation into both the alleged sexual assault and the violent protest continues, with authorities determined to bring all those responsible to justice and to safeguard the safety and cohesion of the community.
The scars left by Tuesday night’s violence are a stark reminder of the challenges facing Ireland as it navigates issues of migration, public safety, and social cohesion. For many in Dublin, the hope is that dialogue and due process—not violence—will prevail in the days ahead.