DUBLIN-Rioters who torched vehicles and looted shops in Dublin following a knife attack outside a school brought “shame” on Ireland, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday, condemning the worst violence in decades which authorities blamed on right-wing groups. Thursday night’s unrest came after three children were injured in a stabbing near the centre of the Irish capital. The violence -- which resulted in 34 arrests -- started when a group broke through a police cordon around the attack area in Parnell Square East, north central Dublin.
The protesters set buses and trams alight and looted shops in one of Dublin’s most famous throughfares, O’Connell Street. “Those involved brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves,” a visibly angry Varadkar told reporters, describing the rioters as “criminals”. A five-year-old girl sustained serious injuries in the stabbing incident, which took place around 1:30 pm (1330 GMT) on Thursday.