Riots have broken out in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, after a migrant went on a stabbing spree, injuring women and children.
Shops were looted, and many vehicles were set on fire.
Protesters chanting anti-migrant slogans were heard as the police asked civilians to stay away from certain streets and places in Dublin in an effort to quell the riots.
A police cordon was set up around the Irish Parliament building, Leinster House, and officers from the Garda Mounted Support Unit were stationed in nearby Grafton Street.
More than 400 Irish police officers were involved at the height of the response.
In a video statement on social media, Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin said some members of the police force had been attacked and assaulted.
The incident began when the assailant, a man in his 50s, attacked three children and a woman on Parnell Street in Dublin, setting off massive protests that turned into riots.
Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee has called the riots “intolerable” and said a “thuggish and manipulative element must not be allowed to use an appalling tragedy to wreak havoc.”
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No deaths have been reported yet, and one of the children has already been discharged from the hospital.
The migrant assailant was arrested by the police and is currently receiving medical care for injuries he sustained during the attack or arrest.
The Irish president, Michael D. Higgins, expressed his sympathy for the children injured in the attack. “All of our thoughts are with each of the children and their families affected by today’s horrific attack,” he said.
“We are particularly thinking of the five-year-old girl and the member of staff caring for her, who are both in serious condition in the hospital.”
He added, “This appalling incident is a matter for the Gardaí, and that it would be used or abused by groups with an agenda that attacks the principle of social inclusion is reprehensible and deserves condemnation by all those who believe in the rule of law and democracy.”
The police continue to monitor the situation as it still remains fluid. #Dublin