How Dublin Riots Erupted After Woman, Children Injured In Attacks

Five people, including 3 children were injured in a knife attack in Dublin on November 23, causing major unrest in the Irish capital. Riots have erupted across the city following the gruesome attack in which a five-year-old girl was severely injured, among two other young children. Social media rumours assuming the nationality of the assailant, a supposed immigrant, have fueled the outrage. It has been reported that the suspect was also one of the five injured persons in the attack. All of them are under treatment at a hospital.

The five-year-old girl is receiving emergency treatment, and two kids aged 5 and 6, and a woman in her 30s have suffered less serious injuries. The boy has been discharged from hospital. A man in his late 40s is also being treated for serious injuries, and arrested by police as the prime suspect. 

Scene of the riot

The brutal stabbings that took place in north-central Dublin, at Parnell Square East, have caused unrest across the whole city. Anti-immigrant protestors began ransacking property and setting fire to vehicles, soon after the incident. According to reports, transport was suspended in the city, and patients of maternity care were also advised not to travel to the hospital unless absolutely necessary.

Rioters are also clashing with the police at O'Connell Street, which is the central hub of Dublin, where the rioters are burning down public transport, police cars, and smashing windows of buildings right in front of the Daniel O'Connell statue. Justice Minister Helen McEntee told AFP that the scenes in the city centre, including attacks on police, "cannot and will not be tolerated" and promised to take action. "A thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed to use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc," she said, calling for calm.

Police Commissioner Drew Harris told reporters, "They are disgraceful scenes. We have a complete lunatic, hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology engaged in serious violence." Reports state that Dublin has not seen such violent riots in many years, but small groups of anti-immigrant protestors have emerged in the last few years.

"I'm not going to speculate any further in respect of a terrorist motive. Until we're sure what the motive is, we have to keep an open mind as to why this happened," Harris further said. Police stated that the assailant attacked a number of people on Parnell Square around 1:30 pm before the public intervened.

"There was complete and utter pandemonium, women wailing, men screaming and crying," Anthony Boyle, 31, an IT consultant who lives on the road and was passing by told Reuters. One protester told AFP that "Irish people are being attacked by these scum." Social media has been flooded with anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments, stating, "Ireland is full."

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