Attacker stopped in Dublin: Donations for delivery drivers
He hit a knife attacker in Dublin with his helmet and possibly prevented more victims: a delivery driver is being showered with money for his courageous intervention. By midday on Sunday, the "Buy Caio Benício a pint of beer" fundraising campaign had raised more than 350,000 euros.
Head of government Leo Varadkar praised the Brazilian and other passers-by who intervened in the bloodbath on Thursday as "true Irish heroes". More than 160,000 euros have also been donated for the victims.
During the attack, three young children aged five and six and a caregiver were stabbed, some of them seriously. The motive is still unclear. After rumors emerged on social media that a migrant was the attacker, hundreds of people rioted in the Irish capital on Thursday evening, including many right-wing extremists. They looted stores, attacked police officers and set fire to emergency vehicles and buses. Dozens of people were arrested.
Criticism of justice minister and police chief
Commentators also blamed the violence on a debate about migration. Right-wing forces claim that asylum seekers in particular are driving crime in the EU country and exacerbating the housing crisis.
Migration has increased significantly since the 1990s. Around one in five of Ireland's five million inhabitants were born abroad. Until now, however, the issue has not played a major role in the public eye. Many Irish see migrants as a valuable workforce. Sinn Fein, a left-wing progressive party, is the strongest political force.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called on Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Police Commissioner Drew Harris to resign. The police lost control of parts of the Irish capital on Thursday and made "catastrophic operational mistakes", McDonald told the Irish Times newspaper. Cabinet member Paschal Donohoe accused Sinn Fein of misusing the escalation for party political purposes. Prime Minister Varadkar had backed the forces.
Preliminary arrests at the weekend
Heavy police units were deployed in the city center over the weekend to prevent further riots. Several people were provisionally arrested. They were suspected of planning riots. As reported by RTÉ, the Irish police received two water cannons from the British province of Northern Ireland in order to be prepared for new riots.
The delivery driver, who according to media reports has a 12-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter and has been living in Ireland for a year, was driving past the scene when a man attacked the children. "When I saw the knife, I stopped my motorcycle and acted instinctively," Benício told the British news agency PA. He hit the man with his motorcycle helmet with all his might.
The 43-year-old criticized the ensuing riot as senseless. "I know that anti-migrant groups were also involved. And I, as a migrant, was the one who helped restrain the attacker," he told the Irish Times.
Amidst the chaos of the riots, concerns about crime and migrant-related issues rose among the people. Some individuals misused the violence to fuel their anti-migrant sentiments.
Despite the escalating tension and rumors linking the attacker to migration, it's commendable that people like the delivery driver, despite being a migrant himself, took a stand against crime, demonstrating unity and courage.
Source: www.dpa.com
