In a shocking incident, a knife attack in Dublin left five people injured, including three young children, triggering riots in the city center. Police are yet to determine the motive, considering all possibilities, including whether the attack could be terror-related.
The violence led to the suspension of public transport, clashes between riot police and anti-immigrant protesters, and significant damage to property, including the burning of a double-decker bus, smashed windows at a Holiday Inn hotel and McDonald’s restaurant, and looting at a Footlocker store. Police Commissioner Drew Harris condemned the scenes, attributing the violence to a “lunatic, hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology.”
Dublin, unaccustomed to such rioting, saw clashes despite having no far-right parties or elected politicians in parliament. However, small anti-immigrant protests have increased in the past year, prompting a government review of security around parliament.
Contradictory statements emerged about the motive, with Harris stating that all lines of inquiry remain open, including the possibility of a terror-related motive, while earlier reports suggested that police were satisfied it was not terror-related.
The victims included a five-year-old girl with serious injuries, a man in his late 40s who was arrested, a woman in her 30s with serious injuries, a five-year-old boy with less serious injuries (since discharged), and a six-year-old girl with less serious injuries.
The attack occurred on Dublin’s Parnell Square, with members of the public intervening to stop the assailant. The chaotic aftermath witnessed pandemonium, described by witnesses as women wailing and men screaming.
Rioting ensued, with around 50 anti-immigrant protesters breaking through police barriers, shouting slogans, and displaying an Irish flag. Tensions escalated as objects were thrown and fireworks fired at riot police, prompting a large-scale deployment to restore order.
As of now, the detained man’s nationality has not been disclosed. Ireland, experiencing increased net migration, has welcomed around 100,000 Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion, raising concerns about potential divisions exploited by “thugs” and “criminals,” as stated by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
