Riots in Dublin last night, following a stabbing incident at a local school which left 5 injured, has led to outrage over the destructive response.
Reportedly some 500 people took part in the riot which saw shop windows smashed, police cars set on fire, clashes with police officers, and 34 people arrested.
GB News’ Northern Ireland reporter Dougie Beattie joined presenters Tom Harwood and Emily Carver to discuss the impact of last night’s riots.
Tom began by asking: “Could you perhaps enlighten us as to why these riots erupted?”
Violent scenes unfolded close to the site of the attack in Dublin city centre as crowds of protesters gathered
PA“Well, they will say yesterday it erupted because of what happened here behind us,” said Dougie, standing outside Delfin English language school.
“These stabbings of three children and a lady in her 30s. One of those children remains very seriously ill in hospital.
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke earlier about the riots, saying: “Their first reaction to a 5 year old child being stabbed was to burn our city, attack its businesses and assault our guarda.
“These people claim to be defending Irish citizens, yet they put in danger the newest and most vulnerable and most innocent people.
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Ireland’s PM Leo Varadkar said rioters had 'brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves'
PA“Those involved brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves.
“But it really goes back, Tom. It has been bubbling under the surface for so long. Dublin is a beautifully modern European city. It's probably the only city really on the island of Ireland. It has a big population and it is very multicultural, There's no doubt about that, like London, Birmingham, et cetera. And it it feels good about itself.
“But over these last few years, in particular the young male population of Dublin, the indigenous people there that were in those working classes that would have formally had jobs in industry, in the shipyards or wherever, they do not seem to be able to get employment anymore. They're not into that. There's no real jobs for them in that in that concept.
“And what has happened is there has been a massive surge of immigrants from other places and most of those are young males.
GB News' Dougie Beattie reported from Dublin on last night's riots
GB News / Reuters
“Now take away the Ukrainians from that because Ukraine actually has very similar morals to that of Ireland and Britain and they would want to go home and that's exactly what it's made for.
“But what has happened now is you have all these… I suppose it's their version of the boats coming in to Ireland.
“It has displaced these young men, that now think that maybe there is no hope for them, maybe they are forgotten and they have rallied round one another, and like any young man, they want something to cling to, something to belong to.
“And what has happened here is they have belonged together, as if they are protecting something that they formally saw as their own. And they believe that they have been forgotten by politicians.”