IRISH Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said violent disorder that has erupted in Dublin following a stabbing attack on three children and a woman outside a school will not be tolerated.
Rioters attacked a Luas tram on O’Connell Street, smashing several of its windows, and the vehicle has since caught fire, according to reports. A Garda vehicle was set alight on Parnell Street as protesters fired flares and fireworks at the police cordon.
Video on social media also showed a double-decker bus engulfed by flames.
Double decker bus and car on fire, O’Connell Bridge #Dublin pic.twitter.com/CfBkC3UTdM
— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) November 23, 2023
McEntee blamed a “thuggish and manipulative element” attempting to sow division.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris described “disgraceful scenes” and warned against “misinformation” as violence flared following the attack.
The stabbing incident occurred around 1pm near Parnell Square in the northside of the Irish capital near a school.
A five-year-old girl is undergoing emergency treatment for her injuries, Irish police have said, while a woman was also seriously injured.
The two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, sustained less serious injuries.
Garda said a man who sustained serious injuries is a person of interest in their investigation.
They have also ruled out any terrorist link and praised members of the public who intervened following the attack.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said a suspect had been detained.
The scene of the incident is close to Irish language-medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire.
Giving an update to the media on Thursday evening, Superintendent Liam Geraghty said: “An Garda Siochana continue to investigate all of the circumstances of a serious assault which occurred on Parnell Square East shortly after 1.30pm this afternoon.
“Preliminary indications are that a male attacked a number of people on Parnell Square East.
“Five casualties have been taken to hospitals in the Dublin region.
“These casualties include three young children, an adult female and an adult male.
“One girl, aged five years, has sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving emergency medical treatment in CHI Temple Street.”
Siobhan Kearney said she witnessed what she believes was a man attacking children.
She described what she saw as “absolutely bedlam”.
Kearney told RTE she watched people disarm a man who she said had a knife.
“I looked across the road and I see the man and the stabbing motion with a load of children so I flew across the road,” she said.
“The man was after stabbing two children as far as I could make out, and we got the children up to the left with the women that were there, and the teachers I presume.
“People were trying to attack the man so me and an American lady, we formed a ring around the man, and then about three minutes later the ambulance came for the children and then another ambulance and fire officers came for the man on the ground.”
