"Get them out": Anti-Immigration protests break out after Dublin stabbing attacks leaves 3 children injured

Dublin saw violent confrontations unfold at its city center on Thursday, November 23, 2023, as protestors clashed with the local police. This resulted in the burning of vehicles and looting of shops. The riots took place shortly after 1 pm local time on Thursday near Parnell Square. According to NPR's report, riot police in full gear were deployed to maintain order.

The riots in Dublin were triggered after a knife attack outside a school left a five-year-old girl, along with two other children and two adults injured seriously, NPR reported. Another victim of the stabbing was a creche worker who intervened to try and prevent the assailant from harming children.

According to the Washington Post, there were rumors online that the assailant of the attack was an immigrant or had an immigrant background. Discussing the riots, police said that far-right protestors disrupted the crime scene and they were also reportedly chanting slogans against immigrants. Some were even heard chanting "Get them (the migrants) out of here!"

However, according to the BBC, a source claimed that the assailant was an Irish citizen who had lived in Ireland for over two decades.

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Dublin Riots: What has happened?

A video began circulating on social media on Thursday, November 23, 2023, that showed an altercation in Dublin. It showed a group of men clashing with law enforcement officers, chanting anti-immigrant slogans, and even setting fire to a police car.

The footage also showed a man holding a sign reading "Irish Lives Matter" while others chanted "Get them (the migrants) out!" Many of the rioters were also seen draped in an Irish flag.

During the riots, certain rioters engaged in clashes with the police, which reportedly resulted in injuries to several police officers. Some of the rioters also allegedly threw bottles at law enforcement officers as others echoed anti-immigrant slogans in their chants. Many of the attackers had covered their faces, NPR reported.

Commissioner Drew Harris of the gardai strongly condemned the clashes, referring to the scenes as "disgraceful." Harris went on to attribute the protests to a "complete lunatic hooligan faction motivated by far-right ideology." In response to the violence, Harris has instructed law enforcement officers to make arrests.

“We ask people to act responsibly, not to listen to misinformation and rumor that is circulating on social media,” Commissioner Harris said.

He added that they were establishing facts but they weren't clear at the moment and said that there was a lot of rumor and innuendo being "spread for malevolent purposes."

As mentioned earlier, the riots erupted on Thursday, at around 1:30 pm local time following a knife attack outside a school in Dublin. The five-year-old girl is receiving emergency medical treatment in a hospital while the others, who hadn't suffered serious injuries were discharged from the hospital.

Following the attack and the riots, AP News reported that the police have arrested 34 people of the nearly 500 people who looted shops, set vehicles on fire, and threw rocks at police officers. As mentioned earlier, the violence began after there were rumors that the assailant who stabbed the children was an immigrant. While BBC reported that the person was an Irish national, his identity wasn't disclosed at the time of writing this article.

Addressing reporters in Dublin, Gardai Superintendent Liam Geraghty assured the public that the stabbings weren't linked to any terrorist activity. He confirmed that a knife had been used in the stabbing while commending the people who took action to stop the assailant.

The Gardai Superintendent also said that they were in contact with the families of the children involved. While the police have asserted that they are not actively seeking additional suspects, they have not disclosed details about the nature of the incident.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that the rioters have “used a horrific attack on innocent children for their own gain”.

“This is not about immigration, this is not about the young children who are in hospital this evening. These are criminals, these are thugs who have come into our city centre and have used a horrific attack on innocent children this evening for their own gain and benefit," McEntee added.

The Justice Minister went on to say that the people involved would be "treated with the full force of the law" and that they would be put in prison which was "exactly where they should be."

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Aftermath of the incident

Dublin Bus has stated that there will be a suspension of services throughout the night.

“We are working to ensure the safe return of buses and employees to each of our depots to prepare for services tomorrow. Dublin Bus will be taking advice from An Garda Síochána about the situation in the city centre before operating services," the company stated.

Phibsborough fire station firefighters doused a Luas tram fire on O'Connell Street. The Dublin Fire Brigade underlined that they were working closely with emergency agencies around the city tonight.

Trinity College stated that the college would be closed for the time being and was preparing to keep the students and staff on the campus if it was needed.

“Temporary bedding is being organized. Students will not be negatively impacted if they are delayed arriving to lectures tomorrow as a result of this evening’s events,” the college said.

While the Gardai said that the streets were calm, they would continue to patrol the streets and monitor the situation.

Over the past year, migration within Ireland increased significantly. Net migration within Ireland's 5.3 million population reached its second-highest level on record. About 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived since Russia's invasion, making it one of the highest rates per capita in the EU.