DUBLIN, IRELAND – A violent clash between protesters and law enforcement erupted in Dublin on Thursday evening following a knife attack that left five individuals, including three children, injured. The confrontation resulted in a police vehicle being set on fire.
The turmoil was initiated by a group of rioters who targeted officers of the Garda, the state police force, on O’Connell Street and Parnell Square East. The rioters reportedly used fireworks and bottles as projectiles against the officers.
In response to the escalating violence, more than 400 officers, many equipped with riot gear, were dispatched to the scene. The authorities attributed the chaos to a “small group of thugs.”
To provide additional security, a police cordon was established around the Irish Parliament building, Leinster House, with officers from the Mounted Support Unit stationed on nearby Grafton Street. Amid the chaos, rioters ignited flares and fireworks, seized chairs and stools from outdoor dining areas, and damaged police vehicles and a tram. A car and a bus were also set ablaze on O’Connell Bridge, and a Foot Locker store was looted.
The riots occurred in the wake of a knife attack that took place outside a school in central Dublin at approximately 1:30 p.m. Among the victims was a 5-year-old girl who is currently receiving emergency medical treatment. A woman and two other children were also injured, while a man in his 50s, deemed a “person of interest” by the police, was hospitalized with severe injuries.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris condemned the public disorder, calling it “disgraceful,” and urged the public to allow the police to carry out their duties and investigations. Superintendent Liam Geraghty, who confirmed that a knife was used in the attack, praised the members of the public who intervened early on in the incident.
Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee expressed her shock at the “appalling attack” and stated that the unrest in the city “will not be tolerated.”