What happened in Dublin – How ‘disgraceful’ riots erupted in city after three kids and woman stabbed
CHAOS descended upon Dublin yesterday after a knife-wielding maniac attacked three school children and their carer.
The lone attacker, who had been previously seen hanging around the area, launched a frenzied assault on the children as they lined up outside of a school on Parnell Square.
Heroic passersbys sprung to action to disarm the man as they attempted to save the children from any further harm.
Emergency services were quick to arrive on the scene, and the children and carer were taken to hospitals around the city.
This morning, a five-year-old girl remains in a critical condition in hospital after undergoing emergency surgery following the attack.
Two other children and their carer also sustained injuries in the stabbing incident.
A six-year-old girl is being treated for head injuries and is due to undergo surgery, while a five-year-old boy who suffered minor physical injuries has been discharged from hospital.
The children’s carer remains in a serious condition in hospital.
The suspect for the attack was wounded and remains under guard in hospital this morning.
Following the attack, the streets of Dublin were set ablaze by hundreds marauding thugs and far-right extremists.
Garda cars, buses and Luas carriages were set ablaze by rampaging “lunatic factions” enraged over the stabbing of children in the city.
Cops and fire crews sent in to tackle blazes were set upon by groups, and footage showed an officer being beaten by multiple people.
In a briefing, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed that 34 arrests were made last night, with 32 due in court this morning.
He said some 13 shops were damaged in the riots, and 11 Garda vehicles were either destroyed or extensively damaged.
Three buses and a Luas were also damaged.
He also confirmed that one Garda sustained serious injuries and that he would be enquiring about his condition later today.
ATTEMPTED DISRUPTION OF CRIME SCENE
Commissioner Harris said there was huge disruption after a violent mob tried to disrupt the crime scene at around 5.30pm. He said order was restored at around 8.30pm or 9pm.
He said investigations are ongoing into yesterday’s stabbing, but it is “disgraceful” that officers were disrupted by the violence last night.
Of the initial attack he said the motive is still not clear and will not speculate on that.
He said an arrest is yet to be made, but a suspect has been identified.
Asked if Gardai failed the country, Mr Harris said Gardai could not have anticipated the violent outbursts in response to the awful event.
He said: “Garda responded in extraordinary fashion,” as the country has “not seen a public order situation like this before.”
‘PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RADICALISED’
Mr Harris added: “We have seen people take a thimbleful of facts and add a bathful of assumptions.”
He said it is “clear” that “people have been radicalised through social media”.
The Commission denied there was any failure by Gardai in their response but said there would be a fundamental review of our public order response.
He said some of these individuals are well known to Gardai.
Asked if people should avoid the city today, especially as darkness falls, the Commission said: “We can’t allow the city to be given over to thugs and arsonists” and that people should use the city as normal.