Prime minister says Dublin protesters filled with hate, attacked ‘the rule of law’
LONDON — Ireland’s prime minister on Friday condemned anti-immigrant protesters who rampaged through central Dublin after three young children were stabbed, saying the rioters simply wanted to cause chaos, not protect the country’s way of life.
Police made a number of further arrests Friday evening as they mounted a significant security operation in Dublin to ensure there was no repeat of Thursday’s disorder. A number of people were taken away in police vans following sporadic altercations.
Police arrested 34 people after Thursday night’s rioting when up to 500 people looted shops, set fire to vehicles and threw rocks at crowd-control officers equipped with helmets and shields.
The violence began after rumors circulated that a foreign national was responsible for the attack outside a Dublin school Thursday afternoon. Authorities haven’t disclosed the suspect’s nationality.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland’s capital had endured two attacks, one on innocent children and the other
on “our society and the rule of law.”
“These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland, they did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people, they did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped,” Varadkar told reporters Friday morning. “They did so because they’re filled with hate, they love violence, they love chaos and they love causing pain to others.”
A 5-year-old girl was in critical condition at a Dublin hospital and a teacher’s aide was in serious condition, police said. A 6-year-old girl continues
to receive treatment for less serious injuries, and another child was discharged overnight. The alleged assailant, who was tackled by witnesses, remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Thursday’s unrest came amid rising tensions over immigration in Ireland that mirror trends in other parts of Europe. Earlier this year, people carrying signs reading “Ireland is full” demonstrated in Dublin, and protesters blockaded a hotel housing asylumseekers in County Clare on the west coast.
An analysis of more than 13 million social media posts over the past three years found that right-wing groups were increasingly using platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter, to stir up opposition to immigration. Recent activity has characterized the refugees and asylumseekers as an “existential threat to Ireland,” according to a report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based group that seeks to combat extremism.
Ireland received more than 141,000 immigrants in the 12 months through April, the highest total since 2007, the latest government statistics show. The influx of migrants drove an 11.7% increase in Ireland’s population over the past 11 years, contributing to a steady increase in housing prices.
When he was questioned about anti-immigration tensions earlier this year, Varadkar told Ireland’s Parliament there was always a place for peaceful protest, but violence, intimidation and racism were never legitimate.
“I think when it comes to this matter, we should never lose sight of the bigger picture — we’re facing a major refugee crisis not just here in Ireland but all across Europe,” he said in May.