The Irish premier has vowed the full force of the law will hit those responsible for a night of violent rioting in Dublin on Thursday as he said we need to “reclaim Ireland.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Friday that anyone involved in the “grotesque events” in the Irish capital, in which 13 shops were damaged and looted and 11 Garda cars were damaged by a “riotous mob”.
The scenes of disorder, which police said was caused by a far-right “lunatic faction” of rioters, came in the aftermath of a knife attack which left three young children and a woman injured.
Mr Varadkar told media: “As a country we need to reclaim Ireland, we need to take it away from the cowards who hide behind masks and try to terrify us with their violence," he said.
"We need to reclaim Ireland from the unscrupulous who prey on the fears of those easily led into darkness and we need to reclaim Ireland from the criminals who seek any excuse to unleash harm on our streets."
Some 34 people have been arrested, police have said, with one officer left seriously injured and others suffering more minor injuries.
A clean-up operation was under way on Friday morning with damaged Luas tram carriages lifted off the track by cranes and broken glass and missiles swept up off the streets.
Pledging new laws in the aftermath of the violence, Mr Varadkar said: “To all those cowardly champions of Ireland who took to the streets of Dublin last night, let me say one thing - ask your sisters, ask your friends, ask everyone you know what they fear most on our streets.
“They're afraid of you, afraid of your anger and your rage, afraid of your violence, your hate and how you blame others for your problems.
“As a government, we will be relentless in protecting our citizens and defending our people. The gardai will be on the streets in large numbers and will do whatever it takes to fight back waves of ignorance and criminality."
Irish police said four people including two children remain in hospital following the earlier knife attack.
An Garda Siochana said a five-year-old girl is in a “critical condition", while a woman, aged in her 30s, is in a "serious condition”.
A six-year-old girl who was also among the injured is receiving medical treatment for “less serious injuries".
The suspect in the knifing, a man in his 40s, was also injured in the knife attack, with officers saying they are not looking for anyone else. They say they are keeping an open mind as to motive.
