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Dublin: Protestors torched vehicles and clashed with police in Dublin on Thursday following three children were injured in a knife incident outside school, after which angered people looted shops. People are raising questions regarding security arrangements. An AFP journalist said that there is a rumor market on social media that a foreign national is involved in this attack.
A five-year-old girl was severely injured and four people, including two children, were taken to hospital with injuries after the stabbing incident at a city center primary school just after 1:30 pm (1330 GMT). According to sources, hundreds of people took to the streets after rumors spread about the attacker’s nationality. During this time some people also clashed with the police and attacked the vehicles.
Public transport was halted following clashes between protesters and police who arrived at the scene of the attack next to the main thoroughfare of O’Connell Street. Patients were advised not to travel to the nearest maternity hospital unless absolutely necessary. At the end of the road, in front of the statue of Daniel O’Connell, a double-decker bus was burnt and the windows of the nearby Holiday Inn Hotel and McDonald’s restaurant were vandalized.
Police Chief Drew Harris hold accountable a “far-right ideologically motivated group” for the chaos and warned against spreading “misinformation.” He said several police vehicles were damaged, with video footage showing one car on fire.
“The Irish people are being attacked by these scoundrels,” one protester told sources. Irish media and witnesses reported that a man armed with a knife attacked the victims outside the school. Eyewitnesses told how this person was detained. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said a suspect had been detained.
Anthony Boyle, a 31-year-old IT consultant who was passing by during the incident, told sources there was complete chaos, women crying, men screaming and crying. The incident site was sealed some time ago, when a group of about 50 anti-immigrant protesters broke the police barrier.
Police, Garda Síochána, said in a statement that they are following a definite line of inquiry and are not searching for any other individuals at this time. It said: “Five casualties have been taken to various hospitals in the Dublin area. The casualties include an adult male, an adult female and three small children.”
