Tensions flared for a second night in Dublin, Ireland, as anti-immigration protests outside a hotel housing asylum seekers turned violent. Irish police (An Garda Síochána) arrested 23 people after demonstrators threw bottles and fireworks at officers, leaving two injured.

The unrest followed six arrests the previous night amid anger over Ireland’s immigration policies. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan praised police for handling the “thuggish violence” and promised more arrests.

Protests began after the arrest of a foreign national accused of assaulting a 10-year-old girl. With migration levels at record highs, public sentiment in Ireland is shifting, sparking fears of growing anti-immigrant unrest across the country.