O’Connell Street transformed into a battleground, with rioters unleashing chaos by setting a Luas tram and several buses ablaze. Additional havoc ensued on O’Connell Bridge, where a bus and car were torched.
Rioters engaged in physical altercations with law enforcement, attempting kicks and punches, while bottles were hurled in ongoing scuffles. A Garda public order unit was swiftly deployed to quell the disorder.
Addressing the media outside Mountjoy Garda Station, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris expressed his dismay, stating, “I think there’s disgraceful scenes in terms of a major investigation, the maintenance of a scene and the gathering of evidence. We have a complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology, and also then this disruptive tendency engaged in serious violence.”
Harris emphasised the commitment to bringing offenders to justice and urged the public to act responsibly amid circulating misinformation on social media. He stressed the importance of establishing facts amidst rumours.
Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin characterised the violent protests as “gratuitous thuggery,” revealing that 400 officers were involved in the police response, with some officers assaulted during the incident. Thankfully, there were no reports of serious injuries suffered by officers or the public.
McMenamin reassured that Dublin city centre is now “calm” and “returning to normal,” but emphasised continued police monitoring of the situation.
