TWO Irish police officers were injured and 24 people arrested during a second consecutive night of violent unrest outside a Dublin hotel that houses asylum seekers.
17 people have now been charged with public order offences.
The clashes occurred at the Citywest complex in southwest Dublin, where bottles, bricks and fireworks were hurled at Gardaí maintaining a security cordon.
One officer was struck in the head with a bottle, while another sustained a shoulder injury.
Both were taken to hospital for treatment.
The violence followed Tuesday’s large-scale rioting, during which a Garda vehicle was set ablaze and several officers were attacked.
Police said the disorder stemmed from protests over the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl near the site early Monday morning.
Authorities described the disturbances as “organised and orchestrated” by groups using social media to incite hostility toward migrants and the Gardaí.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly condemned the events as “totally unacceptable”, stressing that peaceful protest “does not involve throwing bricks and bottles or burning vehicles.”
More than 300 Garda officers were deployed to the scene as tensions mounted.
Additional fencing and steel barriers were installed around the site on Wednesday in anticipation of renewed unrest.
The Special Detective Unit, which investigates far-right extremism, is assisting in examining social media activity believed to have fuelled the confrontation.
Despite smaller crowds on Wednesday night, police said participants continued to direct verbal abuse at officers and launch projectiles.
The situation eventually subsided without major escalation.
Most arrests were for public order offences, and further detentions are expected following reviews of CCTV and body-worn camera footage.
Speaking in the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin commended the Gardaí for their “bravery and professionalism” in confronting what he called a “grave and unacceptable attack on those who protect our community.”
Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting the child at the centre of the controversy appeared in court via video link on Wednesday.
The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody at Cloverhill Prison pending medical and psychiatric evaluation.