Seven gardai were injured on Sunday night in a series of incidents. Six of them were hurt in Dublin when dozens of youths threw missiles as gardai were trying to make arrests.
The most serious incident happened shortly before 11 p.m. when a patrol van from Pearse Street Garda station went to recover a stolen car abandoned in the playground at the Pearse House flat complex.
Between 60 and 70 youths had assembled and a patrol car came to help the gardai in the van. It was bombarded with missiles and had its windows broken.
Other units were called and gardai went to arrest three youths seen to be throwing missiles. The crowd had by then grown to almost 100, and had spilled out on the roadway at the junction of Erne Street and Pearse Street
Some youths had climbed scaffolding and were throwing bottles, beer cans and planks at gardai.
Four gardai were injured, none seriously. Eight youths were arrested and charged with public order offences.
Meanwhile, at O'Devaney Gardens, off the North Circular Road, a patrol car came under attack from youths with missiles when gardai went to carry out an arrest at 10.15 p.m. Two gardai were injured. One was taken to the Mater Hospital, where his injuries were described as not serious.