Criticism of minister and police after riots in Dublin
Following the serious riots in Dublin, criticism of Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Chief Constable Drew Harris is growing. The leader of the main opposition party Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, called on both to resign, as the "Irish Times" newspaper reported on Saturday.
The police had lost control of parts of the Irish capital on Thursday and committed "catastrophic operational errors", McDonald said. Cabinet member Paschal Donohoe accused Sinn Fein of misusing the escalation for party political purposes. Head of government Leo Varadkar backed the emergency services.
On Thursday evening, numerous people rioted in Dublin, including many right-wing extremists. They looted stores, attacked police officers and set fire to emergency vehicles and buses, after a man had stabbed three small children and a childminder, some of them seriously, earlier in the afternoon. The riots were fueled by reports on social media that the perpetrator was a migrant. Dozens of people were arrested.
Heavy police units were deployed in the city center on Friday evening 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 Northern Ireland in order to be prepared for new riots.
Government representatives praised the passers-by who overpowered the knife attacker, including a Brazilian delivery driver. He hit the man's head with his motorcycle helmet, Caio Benício (43) told the Irish Times. The father of two 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 said.
The rising criticism against Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Chief Constable Drew Harris intensified, as their handling of the Dublin riots was questioned. The riots, marked by violent looting, attacks on police officers, and arson of emergency vehicles and buses, were largely fueled by misunderstandings and false reports spread through social media.
Source: www.dpa.com
