Gardaí report 'huge rise in level of aggression' at protests

Gardaí watch as hundreds of anti migrant protesters gather in Kildare.

Gardaí have seen a “huge rise in the level of aggression” at protests, Dublin's policing boss has said — with 31 people arrested so far this year, compared to 20 in the same period in 2023.

Assistant Garda Commissioner Angela Willis said frontline gardaí are dealing with “very challenging situations” and cited an anti-immigration protest last week in which officers arrested 13 people outside an asylum accommodation centre in the capital.