Police say they have not ruled out any motive behind stabbing incident, and warn against spread of ‘misinformation’.
Violent protests have erupted in Dublin, Ireland’s capital, following a suspected knife attack that left four people, including three children, injured.
Protesters clashed with police in the city center on Thursday after a five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s were seriously wounded in the attack outside a school in Dublin. Police have reported that both are receiving emergency treatment.
Two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, sustained less severe injuries. The boy has been discharged from the hospital. According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the woman works at the school and cares for the children.
A man in his 50s was taken into custody in connection with the incident and was also hospitalized with serious injuries.
In a statement, police mentioned they were “following a definite line of inquiry” and were “not looking for any other person at this time.”
Superintendent Liam Geraghty stated, “I’m very strongly satisfied from our inquiries that there is no terror-related activity,” and confirmed that the attack seems to be a standalone incident.
Ireland’s police chief Drew Harris later told the media that “all lines of inquiry” were open to determine the motive.
“I never ruled out any possible motive for this attack,” Harris said.
Protesters clash with police
Later in the evening, RTE reported that clashes had broken out between police and protesters.
The broadcaster reported that a police car and a bus had been set on fire in the center of the city, and that some people had broken into a footwear store and were seen running away with items.
Police chief Harris condemned “disgraceful scenes” and blamed a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” for the disorder, warning against the spread of “misinformation”.
Irish media and witnesses reported that a man armed with a knife had stabbed the victims outside the primary school shortly after 1:30pm (13:30 GMT).
Siobhan Kearney, who witnessed the stabbing incident, described the scene as “absolutely bedlam” and detailed how several individuals helped disarm the attacker and tend to the injured.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed his shock at the incident and thanked the emergency services for their rapid response.
Local lawmaker Aodhan O Riordain described the incident as “disturbing” and expressed hopes for the swift recovery of those injured.
Mary Lou McDonald, leader of the Sinn Fein opposition party, conveyed her horror at the events and extended her support to the affected families.
