Dublin: Puzzles over motive after knife attack on children
In Ireland, the motive of the attacker is being puzzled over after a knife attack on several children and a woman in Dublin. The attack, which according to media reports took place outside a kindergarten, led to serious riots in the capital on Friday night. The security authorities blamed the riots on right-wing extremist troublemakers. There had previously been speculation on social media about the nationality of the alleged perpetrator, which the police themselves did not reveal.
Act and motive
The crime took place on Thursday afternoon in the center of Dublin. The man, aged around 50, mainly attacked children and stabbed his victims with a knife. A five-year-old girl and a woman aged between 30 and 40 were taken to hospital with serious injuries. A five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl suffered minor injuries. The injured woman is reportedly one of the children's caregivers.
According to media reports, the suspect was overpowered and disarmed by passers-by shortly after the crime. He was arrested at the scene and treated in hospital with serious injuries. No further suspects were initially sought.
The motive for the knife attack is still unclear, Ireland's police chief Drew Harris told journalists. Nothing could be ruled out. Previously, statements by a police spokesman had given the impression that a terrorist background was unlikely.
Riots and riots
In the evening, there were serious riots in Dublin city center, during which several buses and a police car were set on fire, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ. Social media showed rioters fighting street battles with the police. According to reports, officers were pelted with bottles and fireworks, stores were looted and shop windows smashed. A streetcar is also said to have been damaged. Xenophobic slogans were also shouted during the riots, according to reports. Police cordons were erected around the parliament building as a precaution.
According to a reporter from the British news channel Sky News, hundreds of rioters, some of them masked, were involved in the riots. Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee spoke of "thugs, criminals who are using this appalling attack to sow division and cause chaos". This will not be tolerated.
Social media propaganda
Police chief Harris blamed far-right hooligans for the riots. "We are calling in reinforcements to deal with this", he said in the evening. Rumors that the army had come to help were denied by the armed forces.
The escalation of the situation was apparently also due to social media propaganda. According to Harris, there was a "huge amount" of speculation on the internet about the nationality of the suspected attacker. He called on people to disregard "disinformation and rumors circulating on social media". The facts still needed to be established.
According to RTÉ, public transport in Dublin came to a partial standstill. Buses were diverted. At around 10.30 p.m. local time (11.30 p.m. CET), the police announced that calm had largely returned to the streets of the city center.
The knife attack on children in Dublin led to serious riots in the capital, with rioters setting buses and a police car on fire. The security authorities blamed the riots on right-wing extremist troublemakers, suggesting that the escalation was fueled by social media propaganda and speculation about the nationality of the alleged attacker.
Source: www.dpa.com
