Rioters smash shop windows and loot clothes in Dublin City Centre

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SHOPS IN DUBLIN City Centre are being broken into a looted amid chaotic and violent scenes that follow a stabbing incident outside a school at Parnell Square East earlier today.

Crowds have confronted gardaí in the streets around the area – throwing bottles, bags of rubbish and other missiles at police as public order officers were deployed. Fireworks were also let off at officers.

The Garda riot units were seen lining up by the Spire and then charging at rioters.

Footage on social media this evening shows multiple instances of gardaí being attacked. A bus and a Luas have been set on fire and no Dublin Bus routes are serving Parnell Square East or O’Connell Street. All Luas services have ceased.

Now shops in the city centre are being broken into, and their contents looted.

Storefront windows were smashed, and some rioters proceeded to steal the goods inside.

Crowds were seen running out of shops on O’Connell Street, Henry Street and Mary’s Street, with bundles of clothing, some even “throwing them up in the air”, one onlooker observed.

Dozens of rioters were seen entering Arnott’s Henry Street department store. The Journal understands that a significant number of workers are trapped inside and cannot leave.

It is understood that some of the rioters have moved towards Temple Bar now. A number of city centre bars and restaurants have now been advised to close by Gardaí as rioting spreads.

Panti Bliss announced the closure of Pantibar and Pennylane for the safety of customers, while O’Neills on Pearse Street was also advised to close its doors.

Eyewitnesses report that Grafton Street is now cordoned off by Gardaí, too, while one proprietor of one premises said, “we have made the decision to close on the advice of Gardaí and for the safety of staff and customers. Many of our clientele are tourists and we’re trying to take care of them now and advise those tourists about the best way to make their way back to accommodation. Unfortunately, some of them are unable to access their hotels or guest houses in the city centre and they’re at a loss now”.

The riots come after five people, including three children, were injured in a stabbing outside a school today on Parnell Square East.

One of the children – a little girl – is receiving emergency medical treatment tonight. A boy and girl aged five and six received less serious injuries – the boy has since been discharged from hospital.

An adult male who was injured is believed to be the attacker. Gardaí have described him as a person of interest and have said they are not looking for anyone else.

Earlier, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said there is a “complete, lunatic hooligan faction” driving violence against gardaí.

He also asked people to “act responsibly, not to listen to the misinformation and rumour that is circulating on social media”.

“The facts are being established, but the facts are still not clear and a lot of the rumour and innuendo is being spread for malevolent purposes.”

The motive for the attack earlier today, he said, was “entirely unclear”.

Updates to follow

With reporting by Nicky Ryan