Insane moment protesters 'charge police with horses' during asylum seeker protests

Police in Ireland said some protesters tried to charge at officers with horses during violent clashes outside a Dublin migrant hotel. Protesters on horse-drawn sulky carts attempted to rush at a Garda line outside the Citywest Hotel on Tuesday night.

Riot police were deployed as the protest descended into disorder. Gardai were attacked with bricks and fireworks, while a police helicopter was targeted by lasers and a police van was set on fire. One female officer required hospital treatment for an injury sustained during the disorder and has since been discharged.

Five men have been charged with public order offences following the clashes in the Irish capital.

A total of six people were arrested, with one person - a woman in her 50s - released without charge pending a file being prepared for Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions.

The protest outside the Citywest Hotel came after an alleged sexual assault on a girl in the vicinity in the early hours of Monday morning.

Irish premier Micheal Martin condemned the scenes of violence, stating there could be "no justification" for attacks on Gardai.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, who visited the scene in the aftermath of the violence, said: "This was obviously not a peaceful protest. The actions this evening can only be described as thuggery. This was a mob intent on violence against Gardai.

"I utterly condemn the attacks on gardai who did their jobs professionally and with great courage to keep people safe."

He added: "We will now begin the process of identifying those who committed crimes and we will bring those involved in this violence to justice."

Almost 300 officers were on duty in response to the public disorder, with almost half from the public order unit. A water cannon was deployed but not used, while mounted and dog units also attended, supported by members in the Air Support Unit and the Garda regional control rooms.

The Garda said public order units were deployed in full protective equipment and utilised pepper spray to "repel sustained physical attacks".

It was the second night in a row a protest has been held outside the Citywest Hotel. The demonstration on Monday night passed without significant incident.

Ireland's Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has said those involved in the violence will "be brought to justice".

He said: "People threw missiles at gardai, threw fireworks at them and set a Garda vehicle on fire.

"This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the gardai."