Street riots began in Ireland after a child was raped by a migrant

Mass protests have begun in Ireland after an African migrant was accused of raping a ten-year-old girl, RTE reports.

As Sky News notes, protests are taking place for the second day in a row. A large protest rally was held near the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, where asylum seekers are housed. About 2 thousand people participated in it: people in hoods and masks threw fireworks, traffic cones, bricks and other objects at the police. A bus stop was destroyed and a police van was set on fire.

Some protesters, as reported by the police, were armed with tools and garden pitchforks. They spoiled citywide property. The protesters also tried to direct laser pointers at a police helicopter that arrived at the scene.

According to The Guardian, the reason for the protests was the indictment of a 26-year-old asylum seeker. He is suspected of assaulting a girl in Citywest or near this hotel. It is located in the Saggart district in the south-west of Dublin. It is assumed that the migrant raped the child.

The police used pepper gas against protesters who tried to break through the line of defense built by them. By 21.00 local time, additional units were involved, as well as a mounted police detachment, dog handlers and air support. Subsequently, law enforcement officers began to push back the protesters using a water cannon.

An hour later, the protests were dispersed. In total, more than 300 police officers participated in the operation.

As part of the protests, one policewoman suffered a leg injury. Six people were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said the use of crime by those who want to "sow discord in our society is not unexpected."

"This is unacceptable and will entail drastic measures," he promised.

Police Commissioner Justin Kelly, in turn, stressed that the protest was not peaceful, and the actions of the activists can only be described as hooliganism. The crowd was set up exclusively for violence, and the authorities will begin the process of identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice, he stressed.