Words from the writer:
Attacks like this and violence in any form are inexcusable. However, cooler heads shall always prevail because anger begets more anger.
(November 24th, 2023)
To the latest in the violent clashes that erupted on Thursday evening in Dublin, Ireland.
This follows a knife attack that left a 5-year-old girl seriously injured and a woman and two other children hospitalised.
(Police in riot gear on the streets of Dublin -- The Irish Times)
Ireland -- in chaos.
The kind that saw vehicles go up in flames, police in riot gear attacked and explosions as looters helped themselves in stores.
(Rioters watched on as vehicles went up in flames -- Sky News)
(Looters ransacking stores amid Black Friday -- Sky News)
(Bus enveloped in flames -- Sky News)
At least 34 people were arrested amid the riots.
Police guarded stores and firefighters cooled down smouldering vehicles.
While condemning the violence the police chief called for calm.
Drew Harris said, "The why and the motive behind this is a very principal part of our investigation.
And that's what we're seeking to determine. (In) the meantime, we've also got a pretty serious public order problem to deal with in the city tonight."
"Those things are disgraceful. I wish people to calm down, go home and allow us to actually conduct our duties and investigations properly," Haris added.
The violence comes after a mass stabbing attack on Thursday afternoon outside a primary school on Parnell Square.
That's where three young children were wounded, one five-year-old girl seriously.
A woman in her 30's and a man in his 50's were also injured.
Subdued by police and witnesses, the male suspect was taken to hospital.
Police have not disclosed the identity of the man but there is speculation that he's foreign.
Far-right activists are being blamed for triggering the violence after anti-immigrant protesters arrived at the scene of the stabbing.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called the stabbing a shame and vowed to tighten anti-hate legislation.
Small anti-immigrant protests have grown over the past year although there are no far-right parties in Ireland's parliament.
Thursday's attack was condemned across the political spectrum, including the main opposition party.
Mary Lou McDonald, the president of Sinn Fein, the main opposition party, lamented, "This is the last thing that you expect to happen on a Thursday afternoon in the middle of Dublin City. It's a great school community and people's hearts are with the children who've been traumatised, those who've been injured, and we pray for their full recovery."
Mary Lou McDonald, speaking to reporters following the attack (Courtesy Sky News)
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