Dublin Riots: ‘Very heavy’ Garda presence in the city today, with 34 arrests made so far

A statement from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris details the extent of the damage in Dublin city centre following last night's riots.

A major clean-up operation is underway in Dublin city this morning following a night of violence, looting and arson. According to Gardaí 34 arrests have been made so far, with 32 people to appear before the courts this morning. 11 garda vehicles, three buses and one Luas have been destroyed, and 13 shops have been "significantly damaged" or subject to looting. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has denounced the "huge destruction from a riotous mob", who he says were trying to break into and disrupt the crime scene at Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square East, following an attack outside the school at around 1.40pm yesterday.

Statement from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on serious public disorder in Dublin City Centre, Thursday 23rd November 2023 pic.twitter.com/cukeK7ZpVZ

— Garda Info (@gardainfo) November 24, 2023

As the violence escalated, over 400 Gardaí were deployed in the city centre including frontline Gardaí supported by 250 Public Order Garda to deal with the "serious, developing and evolving public order incidents and violent disorder". Commissioner Harris added that he did not want to lose focus of the assault on schoolchildren and their teacher outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire, and ensured that a full investigation is ongoing. He also said that a full investigation is underway regarding last night's disorder, adding that Gardaí have "thousands of hours" of CCTV from last night's events to work through. According to Harris, many of the individuals involved are "known to Gardaí" and have criminal records. People traveling into town can expect to see a "very heavy" Garda presence in the city today. While Commissioner Harris encouraged people to come to their work and "come in to use the city", many businesses are making the decision to remain closed. Header images via Twitter/Garda Info / joe.ie