34 Arrested in Dublin Unrest Following Knife Attack; Irish Prime Minister: The City is Safe

Leo Varadkar, the Prime Minister of Ireland, announced on Friday, December 3, that it is safe to return to downtown Dublin following the arrest of 34 individuals during the city's nighttime unrest. The unrest in Dublin began after a knife attack on three young children on a street in the city on Thursday. The Irish police had previously warned of the potential for further violence from rioters. The rioters had earlier broken shop windows, set several police cars, a bus, and a tram on fire, and clashed with police officers. On Friday morning, as shoppers and tourists returned to the city center, they saw police officers protecting stores that had broken windows and looted goods, or patrolling the area. The Irish Prime Minister stated at a press conference, 'Those involved in this have brought shame to Dublin, disgrace to Ireland, and embarrassment to their families and themselves.' He added, 'Our advice is that it is safe to enter the city. The riots that occurred last night were fortunately confined to a relatively small area and were contained within a few hours.' The Irish police reported on Thursday that five people, including three children, were taken to the hospital following a knife attack in downtown Dublin on Thursday, December 2. Local media reported the incident as a 'knife attack.' The Irish Times reported that the main suspect has been arrested and appears to have injured himself as well. According to the police, during the attack, a five-year-old girl was seriously injured, and two other children who sustained other injuries are receiving treatment. Reuters reported on Friday that the five-year-old girl with severe injuries remains in critical condition. An adult woman is also being treated for very serious wounds, while the injuries of an adult man are not as severe. The police have not ruled out any motive for the attack, which occurred near a school, including its connection to terrorism, and have not commented on the nationality of the man arrested in connection with the stabbing. However, speculation about the assailant being a foreigner quickly spread on social media. The police attributed the initiation of the violence to far-right rioters after a small group of anti-immigrant protesters arrived at the scene of the stabbing and clashed with the police.