Children attacked after leaving school, ensuing riots disrupt Ireland
Violent riots broke out in Dublin on Thursday evening, following a daytime knife attack on three young students as they left school. The riots turned chaotic as a police car and two city buses were set on fire, accompanied by instances of looting and intense clashes between the protestors and the police.
6:23 AM EST, November 24, 2023
The knife attack triggered the riots. It occurred outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire primary school, an institution where Irish is the language of instruction.
Irish media report that the victims were two five-year-old children and a six-year-old child. In addition, a woman, believed to be either a teacher or an innocent bystander, was attacked. Bystanders managed to intervene, halting the attack and leading to the aggressor being injured and taken to hospital.
Among the injured were a five-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and a six-year-old boy. The girl and a woman in her thirties are reported to be in serious condition.
The police have stated that the attack is likely not linked to terrorism. However, they aren't ruling out any possible motives. Originally, the police urged the public not to speculate about the nationality of the perpetrator. However, following the surge of riots, they have implicated individuals associated with the far-right, indicating that there might have been reports suggesting that the attacker is a foreigner.
