Multiple arrests expected in Dublin riot as police examine CCTV footage

Following Thursday's riot in Dublin, more arrests are expected as the police review 6,000 hours of CCTV footage, according to Irish ministers. The riot started after a knife attack outside a school left three children and a school caretaker injured. The disorder involved the burning of vehicles and looting of shops. Justice Minister Helen McEntee revealed that the largest deployment of riot police in Irish history was necessary to handle the violence. She defended the police's response after Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald expressed no confidence in McEntee and police head Drew Harris. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stated that around 500 individuals were involved in the riot and promised the introduction of new laws to bring them to justice. Harris attributed the violence to a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology." Authorities apprehended 34 people, many of whom appeared in court on Friday to face charges ranging from possession of weapons to possession of stolen property. Dublin city center maintained a significant police presence on Friday, with several arrests made on O'Connell Street. The Irish police received two water cannons from the Police Service of Northern Ireland in case further disturbances occur. The attack outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, which resulted in a five-year-old girl and a staff member being injured, left the girl in critical condition in the hospital. The incident occurred as a group of children were lining up and were stabbed by a man. The attacker was subdued by members of the public, including a Brazilian food delivery driver who used his bike helmet to defend against him. Police stated that a person of interest, a man in his late 40s who was also seriously injured, is under investigation and they are not actively searching for any other individuals related to the attack. The school expressed shock and sadness over the incident and offered thoughts for the injured pupils and caretaker. Following the knife attack, rioters vandalized 11 police vehicles, damaged 13 shops, and looted more establishments during clashes with riot police. Additionally, three buses and a tram were destroyed, while several officers sustained injuries during more than three hours of violent clashes. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris described the "extraordinary outbreak of violence" as a result of "hateful assumptions" based on online material circulating after the stabbings, including false claims about the attacker's nationality. Sources have indicated that the suspect is an Irish citizen who has resided in the country for 20 years. Garda Commissioner Harris remarked that these were scenes not seen in decades, while Irish President Michael D. Higgins condemned the violence, stating that it goes against the principles of the rule of law and democracy.