A major clean-up is underway in Dublin City Centre this morning after a night of chaos, violence and wanton destruction of vehicles and shops.
Mobs stormed O’Connell street following a stabbing incident on Thursday afternoon in which three young children and a woman were injured.
A female creche worker and a five-year-old girl are in a serious condition following the attack on Parnell Street outside the Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire children’s school.
A man, who was also injured, is being treated in hospital under guard.
In the wake of the attack, protestors gathered at the scene and tensions quickly escalated into chaos.
Dublin City Centre became a no-go zone as hundreds of gardaí worked to retake the streets.
Videos circulating on social media show masked crowds attacking unarmed gardai. One officer had his bicyle taken and a youth is captured throwing it into the River Liffey.
A significant garda presence remains on the streets of Dublin city centre this morning.
Speaking at a press conference this morning in Dublin, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris ondemned the disorder saying there were “disgraceful scenes”.
The former deputy PSNI chief constable said there was “huge destruction from a riotous mob”.
He said there were 34 arrests, with 32 people due in court on Friday morning.
Thirteen shops were damaged significantly or looted, 11 garda vehicles were destroyed, three buses were destroyed and a luas tram destroyed.
He told journalists that what happened was an “extraordinary” outbreak of violence, adding that such scenes have not been seen “for decades”.
Harris said gardaí assumed there will be more violence and they will have to assess how to respond.
One Garda officer was seriously injured during the police operation, said Commissioner Harris.
He said many other officers were injured during the rioting and that the force is collating details about their injuries.
The Commissioner said he will be in contact with the officers during the day and said it was an exhausting night for all of his staff.
He defended the garda response – saying it was not a “non-confrontational response”.
“Many more arrests will now follow,” he added
He said there is an assumption that there will be further protests.
He told reporters that Gardai will now have to look to the tactics and equipment that can be made available to it.
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