Inside Citywest Hotel: 'We are used to protests but it got really frightening when young men started throwing fireworks at gardai'

"Residents living in the refugee and asylum centre describe what the past week has been like behind a garda cordon. Protests outside the Citywest Hotel are not unusual. For more than a month before last week's unrest, local residents had demonstrated two or three times a week against the State's purchase of the hotel. "But they just walked around near the entrance with a loudspeaker and placards, shouting slogans. We had got used to that," said Ukrainian resident Svitlana (not her real name; she and the other residents quoted asked for anonymity)."

""We had got used to that," said Ukrainian resident Svitlana (not her real name; she and the other residents quoted asked for anonymity). Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news"

Residents at the refugee and asylum centre experienced a week confined behind a garda cordon following unrest. Protests outside the Citywest Hotel occurred frequently and were described as commonplace. For more than a month before the unrest, local residents demonstrated two or three times weekly against the State's purchase of the hotel. Protesters typically gathered near the hotel entrance with loudspeakers and placards, shouting slogans. Several residents, including a Ukrainian woman using the name Svitlana, said they had grown accustomed to the demonstrations and asked to remain anonymous when speaking about events.

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