Gardaí made at least two arrests as objects were thrown while Joe Biden left Trinity College Dublin, where he had made a surprise visit to attend an award ceremony for his son Hunter.

The former US president and former first lady Jill Biden attended the College Historical Society ceremony, at which Hunter Biden received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution for Public Discourse.

Protesters and onlookers gathered outside during the visit. As the former president left the venue, some people moved forward and objects were thrown. Garda public order officers and a number of their vans were at the scene. The precise grounds for the arrests were not specified.

Biden also met Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, during his visit.

The award came after Hunter Biden’s convictions in the United States for gun and tax crimes in 2024. His father pardoned him later that year, while still president. The protesters’ reasons for gathering were not specified, so no connection between their actions and either the award or the pardon can be established.