Ireland’s police commissioner said on Friday that the violence that erupted in Dublin after three children were injured in a knife attack was of a level not seen for decades. Police officers were forced to use riot shields to hold back groups of demonstrators attacking them, and cars were set on fire and shops looted. The rioting lasted for more than three hours in the capital city of Dublin and involved hundreds of police, including public order units brought in from other parts of the country.
The disorder began on Thursday afternoon at the scene of the stabbings near a primary school in Parnell Square East, north of the central business district. A five-year-old girl, a woman in her 30s, and a man in his 50s suffered serious injuries and are being treated in hospital. Two other children, aged six and five, received less severe injuries. Police have arrested a man in his 50s in connection with the stabbings.
Irish President Michael D Higgins condemned the stabbings and rioting, saying that “it is an act of violence against people who are innocent, including children, and it deserves condemnation by those who believe in a democratic society.” The violence also provoked several attacks on businesses, with a double-decker bus burned to the ground in front of a statue of Daniel O’Connell. Windows were smashed at a McDonald’s restaurant, a Holiday Inn hotel, and a Foot Locker store. The police commissioner, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, blamed a “lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology” for the riots. He described the scenes as “disgraceful.”
Some 400 police, including a large number in riot gear, were deployed to try to contain the unrest, and police vehicles and trams were damaged. Sky News’ Ireland correspondent Stephen Murphy saw a gang break into and steal shoes from a Foot Locker store, and witnesses reported that people were trying to kick and punch police. Shouts of anti-immigrant slogans and racist chants accompanied the rioting.
Police say they have not ruled out any motive for the stabbings, including whether it was linked to terrorism. The violence erupted at about 1 pm local time, and police were called to the scene shortly afterward. They cordoned off the area around the school, in the busy commercial district of Parnell Square East, and a crowd of hundreds of people gathered nearby. The incident was captured on video by a witness. Police later descended on the crowd with riot shields and charged some of them, but others broke away from them and tried to punch and kick them. Some were hurling bottles at the police. Officers used riot shields to hold them back, and several people were arrested for disorder offenses. The rioting ended several hours later, with the police clearing the area and redeploying their shields. The police force has urged people to stay away from the area and report any suspicious activity. The government has warned of stiff penalties for those involved in the disorder.
