Dublin riots: Timeline of ‘huge destruction by riotous mob’ after children stabbed

Police have arrested 34 people after "huge destruction by a riotous mob" in Dublin on Thursday night.

Impromptu protests following a stabbing outside a school spiralled into a night of violence, with angry mobs setting fire to buses, trams and at least one police vehicle, while shops were also looted.

The head of Irelands police force said one Garda officer had been seriously injured, with numerous others also hurt as missiles were thrown at them.

The violence came after a knife attack around lunchtime on Thursday when three children and a woman who was caring for them were stabbed close to Irish language medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire.

A five-year-old girl underwent emergency treatment for serious injuries. The woman was also seriously injured while the two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, suffered less serious injuries.

Gardai said a man who sustained serious injuries at the scene was a person of interest in their investigation.

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On Thursday Garda Commissioner Drew Harris blamed a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” for the disorder.

Irish President Michael D Higgins said: “This appalling incident is a matter for the gardai and that it would be used or abused by groups with an agenda that attacks the principle of social inclusion is reprehensible and deserves condemnation by all those who believe in the rule of law and democracy.”

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee labelled the scenes of disorder “intolerable” and said a “thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed to use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc”.

“We will not tolerate a small number using an appalling incident to spread division,” she said.

Here is a timeline of how the violence unfolded:-

Thursday, 23 November

1.30pm - Three young children and a woman are attacked outside a school, Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, school in Parnell Square East in the north of Dublin city centre.

Police said a five-year-old girl, a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s sustained serious injuries. The girl was receiving emergency medical treatment. A five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl were treated for less severe injuries. The boy was discharged from hospital.

Police detain a man in his 50s, who was also being treated for injuries, and say they are not seeking other suspects.

They appeal for information about the incident, including mobile phone footage of the attack and its aftermath, to come forward.

Thursday night

Impromptu protests spiral into violence.

Buses, trams and at least one Garda vehicle are burned and shops are looted on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, where a bus and car are also torched.

Demonstrators clash with police, as well as letting off flares and fireworks and throwing chairs and stools taken from bars and restaurants.

A Garda public order unit is deployed near the crime scene cordon around Parnell Square and a police cordon is set up around the Irish parliament building, Leinster House.

More than 400 gardai are involved in efforts to quell the violence, with calm restored just before midnight.

Friday, 24 November

Police announce that 34 people have been arrested following "huge destruction by a riotous mob".

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said one Garda officer received a serious injury, with "numerous other members injured" as missiles were thrown at them.

He said 13 shops have been significantly damaged or subjected to looting and 11 Garda cars were damaged during the chaotic scenes in the aftermath of a knife attack which left three young children and a woman injured.

Later, 32 people are to appear before court in the city.