Dublin in revolt because they set fire to the city

Dublin was devastated by what several sources called racial clashes, but which authorities tried to contain amid incidents between opposing political factions. What is certain is that the sun rose after a sleepless night in a capital where stores were looted and vehicles were set on fire. All just hours after three children were injured in an attack outside a school. Police in riot gear patrolled the streets as crowds taunted them with chants and threw fireworks. Near O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey, flames shot from a car and a bus as crowds broke into shops and looted one of the city’s main shopping streets. The riots – the worst in Dublin in years – broke out after a five-year-old girl was seriously injured in a stabbing in Parnell Square East, north-central Dublin. Another 2 children and 2 adults – a woman and the alleged attacker – are hospitalized.

Rumors on social media about the nationality of the attacker, who police described only as a man in his 50s, helped fuel the unrest. Police Chief Drew Harris accused a “completely insane faction fueled by far-right ideology” and warned against “misinformation.” Some protesters carried “Irish Lives Matter” signs and waved Irish flags in a neighborhood that is home to a large immigrant community. Ireland faces a chronic housing crisis, with widespread dissatisfaction fueling a backlash against asylum seekers and refugees, and with far-right figures fueling anti-immigration sentiment at demonstrations and with media campaigns. Police Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin said calm had been restored and no serious injuries were reported. Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the scenes in the city center, including attacks on police, “cannot and will not be tolerated. A criminal and manipulative element should not be able to use a frightening tragedy to cause chaos,” she stated, calling for calm.