In the Irish capital Dublin, a man attacked a group of children with a knife. Three children and a woman were injured. Hours after the attack, riots broke out in the city.
After a knife attack in Dublin, in which four people and the suspect himself were injured, some seriously, there were serious riots in the Irish capital this evening. According to police, the background to the attack is still unclear.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that a man attacked a group of children. Three children were injured. Two children suffered minor injuries, but a five-year-old girl was seriously injured. A woman also suffered serious injuries.
Passers-by were able to overpower the attacker and hold him until the police arrived, RTÉ reported. He was also injured.
Police don’t go away terrorist motif
The suspect’s motive has not yet been clarified, a police spokesman said. However, it can be assumed that the perpetrator was an individual. The police do not assume a terrorist motive.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he was “shocked” by the crime. His “thoughts and prayers” are with the injured and their families. At the same time, Varadkar thanked the police and emergency services. Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee also spoke of a “horrific attack on three innocent children and a woman.”
Cars set on fire, police officers attacked
In the evening there were serious riots in Dublin, during which, among other things, two buses and a police car were set on fire and a shop was looted. According to a reporter from the British news channel Sky News, hundreds of people, some of whom were masked, were said to have taken part in the riots.
According to a spokesman, the police blamed right-wing extremist hooligans for the attacks and spoke of serious acts of violence. Officers were attacked and had bottles thrown at them.