Two people have been arrested following clashes between protesters and gardaí outside Trinity College Dublin during a visit by former US president Joe Biden.
Mr Biden made an unexpected appearance at the university as his son, Hunter Biden, received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution for Public Discourse from the College Historical Society, also known as the Hist.
The former president was accompanied by his wife, former first lady Jill Biden, for the ceremony.
A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered outside the college to protest against the visit and express their opposition to the former US president's policies on Gaza.
Tensions escalated as the Bidens departed the university. Protesters and onlookers moved towards the vehicles travelling through Front Square, with objects, including milk, reportedly thrown during the confrontation.
A significant Garda presence, including public order unit officers and several vans, had been deployed to the area.
At least two people were arrested as officers attempted to control the crowd. Footage circulating from the scene appeared to show a garda striking one of the protesters with a baton while making an arrest.
Harper Alderson, editor of Trinity's University Times newspaper, said the demonstration had grown considerably as the presidential party made its way through the college grounds.
“The protest grew very large as the cars were moving through front square of the college,” she said.
She added that students had gathered around the vehicles, chanting slogans including “Genocide Joe”, “Shame on you” and “guards off our campus”.
Claims were also made that gardaí had deployed pepper spray against two protesters during the incident.
Hunter Biden, who attended the ceremony to receive the award, was convicted in the United States of firearms and tax-related offences in June 2024. He was subsequently granted a presidential pardon by his father later that year, while Joe Biden was still in office.
The College Historical Society was established in 1770 and is recognised as the world's oldest student society.
Its Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution for Public Discourse has previously been awarded to a number of prominent international figures, including former Irish president Michael D Higgins, musician Bob Geldof, singer Patti Smith, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and South African anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu.
