Dublin Rocked by Violence Following Knife Assault that Injured Three Children, One Critically

Central Dublin was engulfed in violent turmoil on Thursday night following a knife assault earlier that day which critically wounded a 5-year-old girl and resulted in hospitalization for a woman and two other children.

The Irish police reported that the young girl was undergoing urgent care in a Dublin hospital after the incident near a school. In response, around 100 individuals took to the streets, many armed with metal rods and concealing their faces.

Authorities stated that over 400 officers, including several in riot equipment, were mobilized in the heart of Dublin to manage the chaos, attributed to “a small faction of hoodlums.”

The police, equipped with shields, repelled attackers trying to kick and punch them. Meanwhile, the police blockade near the incident’s location was bombarded with flares and fireworks. Numerous police vehicles and a tram sustained damage in the unrest, and a bus and a car were set ablaze on O’Connell Bridge.

Several store windows were smashed, and a Foot Locker outlet was plundered. All city transport was halted.

Ireland’s senior police official, Drew Harris, commented, “We’re dealing with a radical hooligan group fueled by extreme-right beliefs and a disruptive element involved in grave violence.”

Calls for calm and caution against misinformation related to the earlier assault were issued by both police and political leaders.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee declared, “The events unfolding tonight in our city center are unacceptable and must not be tolerated. A manipulative and rowdy group cannot exploit a horrific tragedy to cause mayhem.”

Previously, the police identified a man in his 50s, who was also severely injured, as a key figure in their inquiry. His identity remains undisclosed.

At an evening press conference, when questioned about a potential terrorist connection, Harris did not dismiss it.

“I have never excluded any potential motive for this assault… every angle is being explored to ascertain the motive,” he stated.

This marked a subtle shift from earlier comments by Superintendent Liam Geraghty, who maintained an open stance in the investigation but was “convinced there is no terrorist connection.”

A woman in her 30s also endured serious injuries in the knife attack shortly after 1:30 p.m. The two other children, aged 5 and 6, suffered minor injuries, with the boy later discharged from the hospital.

Geraghty, in a press briefing, indicated that initial findings suggest a man attacked multiple individuals on Parnell Square East.

He believed it to be “an isolated event, unlinked to broader national or citywide issues, and the exact motives need to be determined.”

Geraghty corroborated earlier witness accounts of a knife being used in the assault, though he couldn’t provide further injury details. He also confirmed that witnesses immediately attempted to disarm the attacker.

Geraghty praised the public’s intervention: “Our understanding is that the public intervened very early on, and we commend those individuals for their bravery in such a traumatic and potentially perilous situation.”

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