Most of the participants in the Dublin Riots in 2023 were “opportunistic” vandals and looters, Gardaí have said.
A year removed from the large-scale rioting which saw windows in Dublin city centre smashed, shoe shops looted and Garda cars set alight, Gardaí addressed the media this week about the ongoing investigation into the disorder.
While appealing for information about individuals captured on CCTV who they had yet to identify, Gardaí said that “Each investigation is dealt with on its own merits.”
“A lot of the individuals that we’re now looking for are not necessarily connected with any hate elements—they’re dealing with looting, criminal damage, and issues around that,” one Garda spokesman said.
Gript Media asked if the currently available evidence suggested that “the majority of participants would have been opportunistic” individuals involving in “looting” and similar offences.
“I think that would be fair to say in relation to any large riot or public order incident – there was a lot of opportunism,” the Garda spokesman replied.
The riots were sparked after several young children were stabbed outside a school in Dublin’s Parnell Square. Several months later, a number of children were also attacked in a similar attack in Southport in the UK.
Asked if they were concerned that there may be a repeat of such attacks, Gardaí said they continue to “review” threats, but that they had no “ongoing concern” about another such incident.
“After the attack that you referred to in Parnell Square, we did a lot of work with the schools around there, and we continued to have engagement with those schools,” a spokesman said.
“So, it’s very much intelligence-led, and we continually keep it under review. Across the country, through our community policing units, we have very good engagement with all of our schools right around the country. We regularly meet with them and discuss any concerns that they may have.”