Five people, including three children, were hurt in a knife attack in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday, which led to riots across the city. Following clashes between riot police and protestors, transport was suspended, and patients were urged against travelling unless absolutely essential.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 23, 2023
Major riots are taking place in Dublin in response to a mass-stabbing earlier today.
An Algerian man entered a school and stabbed 1 women and 3 young children.
2 of them are in serious condition. pic.twitter.com/qAjFW6agl9
Violent Protests in Dublin
Police said over 400 cops, including many in riot gear, were stationed in Dublin city centre to control the violence, which they said was “caused by a small group of thugs.” A police cordon was put up around the Irish Parliament building, Leinster House, and officers from the Mounted Support Unit were stationed near Grafton Street.
There were clashes with riot police as some protestors let off flares and fireworks while others grabbed chairs and tables outside pubs and restaurants.
Shop windows were broken, and a Foot Locker shop was looted. All transport in the city, including trams and buses, has been suspended, and several businesses have asked their employees to work from home on Friday.
“We have a complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology, and also then this disruptive tendency engaged in serious violence,” an Irish police officer stated.
Superintendent Liam Geraghty indicated police were maintaining an open mind about the investigation but were “satisfied there is no terrorist link.”
At a press conference, Geraghty stated that the initial evidence indicates that the man attacked a number of persons on Parnell Square East. He said that police believe that it was “a standalone incident, not necessarily connected to any wider issues that are ongoing in the country or in the city, and we need to identify the exact reasons for that happening.”
What Happened in Dublin?
A five-year-old kid and a woman in her 30s are in critical condition in hospital after being attacked and stabbed in Dublin’s city centre on Thursday.
A group of young children was waiting up outside a school on Parnell Square East at 1.30 pm when a male arrived and began attacking the children with a knife. Several people intervened to handle the situation, and the man was detained on the spot until the Irish National Police, Gardaí and emergency services arrived.
A witness told RTE that she noticed a man in a “stabbing motion” from across the road and that as she ran closer, she spotted two children who were stabbed.
Drew Harris said we have not seen public disorder like this before
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 24, 2023
We have seen people take a thimbleful of facts and add a bathful of assumptions.
He denied there was any failure by Gardaí in their response | Read more: https://t.co/yxKRwiWaG6 pic.twitter.com/0ziEQ7FSgk
Gardaí’s Statement
Gardaí are investigating the motive for the attack. However, they do not suspect a terrorist purpose and think it is an isolated, self-contained incident that is now under control.
Speaking at a Policing Authority meeting in Waterford, Commissioner Drew Harris called the event “very shocking.” “Just in the first place, I want to reassure people that a full garda operation swung into place, both in terms of the investigation but also the identification of a suspect and I can say that we are seeking no one else in relation to this incident,” Harris said.
Harris stated that the cause of the attack would be investigated and that members of the public intervened in apprehending the suspect. “It would appear that following the actual incident itself and as part of the incident itself members of the public who were passing by intervened and in effect then grappled with this individual and that allowed gardaí on arrival to arrest that individual,” he added.
Government’s Response
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee issued a statement saying she is “deeply shocked” by the “appalling attack on three innocent children and a woman in Dublin today.” She expressed her sympathy to those affected, particularly children, parents, and families, at “this extremely difficult period.”
“I have been briefed by the Garda Commissioner and will remain in close contact with him and senior Gardaí,” McEntee said. “This attack has shocked us all, and I have no doubt that the person responsible will be brought to justice.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar issued a statement thanking the emergency services for their quick response. “The facts in this matter are still emerging. The emergency services responded very quickly and were on site within minutes. I thank them for that.”
Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education, expressed her deepest sympathies to the three children and women who were “viciously attacked” in Dublin.