AGI – Dublin has been devastated by racial clashes, which various sources said, but which authorities tried to contain through incidents between feuding political factions. That’s for sure After a sleepless night, the sun rose over a capital where stores were looted and vehicles were set on fire. And all of this just hours after three young children were injured in an attack outside a school.
Police in riot gear patrolled the streets as crowds taunted them with chants and fireworks. Flames burst from a car and a bus near O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey as crowds broke into shops and looted one of the city’s main shopping streets.
The serious accident in Dublin today, in which numerous people – including children – were injured, shocked us all.
Many thanks to those on site who intervened immediately.
Thinking of all the injured and their families tonight https://t.co/eIIzo1RYiR
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) November 23, 2023
The riots – the worst in Dublin for years – erupted after a five-year-old girl was seriously injured in a stabbing in Parnell Square East, north Dublin. Two other children and two adults – a woman and the alleged perpetrator of the attack – are hospitalized. According to the Irish Times, the main suspect in the knife attack has been arrested and is believed to have suffered self-inflicted injuries
The conflicts caused by the extreme right
Rumors on social media about the nationality of the attacker, whom police described only as a man in his 50s, helped fuel the unrest. Police Chief Drew Harris blamed a “completely insane faction driven by far-right ideology” and warned of “misinformation.”
Photo credit: Monica Giannattasio
Some protesters They carried signs saying “Irish Lives Matter” and Irish flags flew in a neighborhood home to a large immigrant community.
Ireland is facing a chronic housing crisis that has sparked a backlash against asylum seekers and refugees amid widespread discontent, and far-right figures have stoked anti-immigration sentiment at demonstrations and with social media campaigns.
Photo credit: Monica Giannattasio
Late in the evening, Police Commissioner Patrick McMenamin said calm had been restored and no serious injuries had been reported. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said of the scenes in the city center, including attacks on police: “They cannot and will not be tolerated. A criminal and manipulative element must not be able to take advantage of a terrible tragedy to cause chaos,” he said, calling for calm.
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