© Reuters. Cops stand guard close to the scene of a suspected stabbing that left few kids injured in Dublin, Eire, November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
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By Conor Humphries and Clodagh Kilcoyne
DUBLIN (Reuters) -Three younger kids have been amongst 5 individuals injured in a knife assault in central Dublin on Thursday that police mentioned they’d not dominated out any motive over, together with whether or not it might be terror-related.
The incident sparked clashes between riot police and a bunch of anti-immigrant protesters, who arrived on the scene close to the primary thoroughfare of O’Connell Avenue shortly after the assault.
A police automotive and double decker bus have been burnt out and home windows smashed in at a close-by Vacation Inn lodge and McDonalds restaurant.
A five-year-old lady was receiving emergency remedy after sustaining critical accidents within the stabbing. A person in his late 40s, additionally being handled for critical accidents, was arrested by police who mentioned they don’t seem to be on the lookout for some other suspect.
“I never ruled out any possible motive for this attack. As I’ve said right from the start … all lines of inquiry are open to determine the motive,” Drew Harris mentioned after a senior officer had earlier advised reporters that police have been happy the incident was not terror-related.
“I’m not going to speculate any further in respect of a terrorist motive. Until we’re sure what the motive is, we have to keep an open mind as to why this happened.”
Police mentioned it appeared the person attacked quite a lot of individuals on Dublin’s Parnell Sq. shortly after 1330 GMT. Members of the general public intervened at an early stage of the assault.
A lady in her 30s was additionally being handled for critical accidents whereas the 2 different kids, a five-year-old boy and six-year-old lady, suffered much less critical accidents. The boy has been discharged from hospital.
The scene was nonetheless sealed off shortly earlier than 1800 GMT when a bunch of round 50 anti-immigrant protesters briefly broke by way of a police barrier. Some shouted “get them out” and one kicked the wing mirror off a police automotive. One other was draped in an Irish flag.
A bigger crowd with their faces lined threw objects and fired fireworks at riot police in helmets and shields, who have been deployed shortly after. Others smashed police vehicles.
“They are disgraceful scenes. We have a complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far right ideology engaged in serious violence,” Harris mentioned.
Police mentioned they weren’t able to substantiate particular particulars of anybody concerned within the incident when requested concerning the nationality of the detained man.
Whereas the assault occurred close to a college, superintendent Liam Geraghty mentioned police didn’t consider it was an assault on the college.
Anthony Boyle, 31, an IT advisor who lives on the highway and was passing by advised Reuters, “I saw a child on the ground, a little girl”.
“There was complete and utter pandemonium, women wailing, men screaming and crying.”
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar mentioned in a press release that “we are all shocked by the incident.”
