The rape of a 10-year-old girl by a 30-year-old asylum seeker rocked Ireland, leading to significant anti-immigration agitation on 21st October. The shocking crime took place at the Citywest Hotel which shelters asylum applicants in Saggart, southwest of Dublin.

At least 2,000 people clashed with police (gardaí) and hurled abuses, fireworks, rockets, stones, bricks as well as glass bottles, resulting in six arrests. A police car was burned. One female officer was treated for a foot injury.

The demonstrators were stopped from reaching the hotel by a queue of riot police. They tried to break through the police perimeter by charging on horses and a horse-cart, according to the authorities but were driven away. Some carried tools and garden forks while others broke through barriers to obtain

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