On the evening of 23 November 2023, a riot took place in Dublin, Ireland, which involved multiple incidents of vandalism, arson, and looting in the city centre as well as assaults on Gardaí (Irish police) and members of the public. Gardaí described the riot as the most violent in modern Dublin history, far surpassing the 2006 riots. Initial estimates by Dublin City Council suggested that the damage could cost up to €20 million, while then-Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, stated that it could cost "tens of millions".
The riot was triggered by a man stabbing three young children and a care assistant at around 1:30p.m. GMT that day outside a primary school in Parnell Square East, Dublin. A five-year-old girl was critically injured and the care assistant—who had tried to shield the children with her own body—was seriously injured. In the hours following the stabbings, far-right activists used social media and messaging apps to spread public anger over immigration. At a later point, the suspect was identified as Riad Bouchaker, originally from Algeria. Bouchaker was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault and currently faces trial at the Central Criminal Court. The five-year-old girl was discharged from hospital in August 2024.
By 5p.m., a crowd of 100 to 200 anti-immigrant demonstrators had gathered at Parnell Square. The unrest began at around 6p.m. when demonstrators began throwing fireworks, flares and bottles at the Gardaí who were maintaining a cordon around the crime scene. Shortly before 7 p.m., a nearby Garda car was set on fire. Rioting progressed to the adjacent O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare, and also spread to Capel Street and Parliament Street. At its peak, the rioting crowd was estimated at 500 people. Several Dublin Bus vehicles, Garda vehicles and a Luas tram were damaged or destroyed by arson and vandalism, and multiple shops were looted. In response, around 400 Gardaí were dispatched, including the largest deployment of Gardaí armed with riot gear in Ireland's history. Approximately 60 Gardaí were assaulted during the riot, three of whom sustained serious injuries. By 10p.m., the rioters had been dispersed, with 34 arrests made that evening and further arrests made over subsequent days.
Following the riot, the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, blamed the events on a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology". Other public figures criticised policing in Dublin city and called for the resignations of Harris and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee. The minister subsequently survived a vote of no confidence in Dáil Éireann. The government implemented additional riot-prevention measures after the incident, borrowing water cannons from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, passing new laws enabling the use of police body cameras, and announcing plans to expand the use of hand-held video cameras, tasers, and pepper spray.
Stabbings
On 23 November 2023, at approximately 1:30pm GMT, a man armed with a knife attacked a group of young children outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, a primary school in Parnell Square East, Dublin. The man critically injured a five-year-old girl and seriously injured Leanne Flynn Keogh, a care assistant in her 30s who had tried to protect the children. Two other children, a five-year-old boy and six-year-old girl, sustained less serious injuries and were discharged from hospital shortly after the incident. Flynn Keogh spent more than a week in intensive care before being moved to a high-dependency unit and then to a ward. She was discharged from the hospital shortly before Christmas. The five-year-old girl spent extended periods in a paediatric intensive care unit. She was eventually discharged from hospital in August 2024.
The attacker was disarmed by three passers-by who intervened: Warren Donohoe from Baltinglass, County Wicklow; Caio Benicio, a delivery driver from Brazil; and Alan Loren-Guille, a 17-year-old trainee chef from France. Donohoe grabbed the attacker, whom Benicio then struck with his motorcycle helmet, knocking him to the ground and incapacitating him. Loren-Guille wrested the knife from the man, suffering minor injuries to his hand and face in the process. After others began kicking the attacker as he lay on the ground, two women—a local and an American tourist—formed a protective ring around him, urging onlookers to wait for the Gardaí to arrive. Another man safeguarded the attacker's knife until Gardaí could retrieve it.
Detained by Gardaí and taken to a Dublin hospital after suffering serious injuries, the suspect was later reported to be of Algerian origin. He had lived in Ireland for 20 years and had become a naturalised Irish citizen in 2014. He had appeared in court in June 2023, charged with possession of a knife and criminal damage to a car. Garda commissioner Drew Harris described the attack as "standalone" and stated that it was not terrorism-related. A Garda superintendent said no other individuals were wanted by the gardaí in connection with the attacks.
On 21 December 2023, the suspect was named Riad Bouchaker (), a 50-year-old man from Algeria. Bouchaker was charged in Dublin District Court on that day with three counts of attempted murder of three children and one count of serious harm to an adult, as well as two counts of assault causing harm to two other children and one charge of assault of another adult. When further charged with the possession and production of a 36-centimetre kitchen knife, he replied: "I am a sick person."Man charged with attempted murder over Parnell Square attack RTÉ News, 2023-12-21. On 22 February 2024, Bouchaker appeared at Cloverhill District Court. The court was told that the Director of Public Prosecutions had completed work on a large and complex book of evidence, and Bouchaker was sent forward for trial at the Central Criminal Court. The court directed that the media refrain from naming Bouchaker's legal representatives, due to "safety concerns" and "after what occurred around the city". Bouchaker's trial began in June 2026.
Riot
Following the stabbing incident, rumours spread on the WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal messaging apps that the attacker was an illegal immigrant, and that the children were dead. They stated that the attack was an act of Islamic terrorism and claimed that the stabbings were part of a larger pattern of violent attacks by immigrants, including the murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old Irish primary school teacher whose killer, Slovak immigrant Jozef Puška, had been sentenced six days earlier. Members of the far right urged people to go to the scene and "make your feelings known"; they used the hashtag #Irelandisfull.
By 5pm, a crowd had gathered at the top of O'Connell Street, near the scene of the stabbings, some carrying the flag of Ireland or placards with anti-immigration slogans such as "Irish Lives Matter". Around 6pm, the crowd of between 100 and 200 people, was joined by youths carrying metal bars and wearing facial coverings (including balaclavas and hoods). A small number of people were reported to be shouting anti-immigration slogans at gardaí. Members of the crowd began throwing fireworks, flares and bottles at the gardaí who were maintaining a cordon at the crime scene. Vehicles were vandalised and set on fire, including Garda vehicles, buses, and a Luas tram. Shops and businesses were looted and set on fire. At the peak of the riot, the crowd grew to about 500 people and spread to Capel Street and Parliament Street. Members of the Garda Public Order Unit were deployed to the area. A witness described the rioters as "young people—late-teens, early-20s" who were being "egged on" by older people. By this point, social media users on Telegram encouraged rioters to target foreigners, stating to "kill everyone you come across."
In response to the rioting, Luas and Dublin Bus suspended their services. Many businesses near the scene closed early or cancelled events. Tara Street railway station was closed by Iarnród Éireann. Trinity College, which is close to the scene, imposed a lockdown and closed all gates to its campus. A police cordon was created at the Oireachtas building at Leinster House, while officers from the Mounted Support Unit were deployed in nearby Grafton Street.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris stated a "complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology" was behind the violence and condemned it as "disgraceful". He also called upon people "to act responsibly and not to listen to the misinformation and rumour that is circulating on social media." He also denied that the Gardaí had failed to protect the city from the violence, calling the response to the stabbing unanticipated. Garda sources later told The Irish Times that the events were unlike anything seen in modern Dublin history, surpassing by far the levels of violence and criminal damage seen during the 2006 "Love Ulster" riots. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the incident saw the largest deployment of riot gardaí to a public order situation in Ireland's history.
At around 10pm, gardaí reported that most of the crowds had dispersed and that the city centre was "mainly calm". More than 400 officers were retained to keep order after the violence subsided.
Arrests, injuries and damage Gardaí initially reported that they had made 34 arrests in connection with the rioting. They made further arrests after 23 November, after families and friends called the Gardaí to turn in rioters. Up to 60 gardaí were assaulted, three of whom suffered serious injuries. One garda was hospitalised with a severe injury to his toe, another garda suffered a broken ankle, while a third officer broke three fingers on one of his hands.
Thirteen shops suffered significant damage or looting which included the theft of charity boxes. Among the shops looted were Arnotts on Henry Street and Foot Locker on O'Connell Street. Three Dublin Bus vehicles were destroyed by arson—two of them hybrid buses estimated to cost €570,000 each, and a diesel bus valued at €350,000—and six other buses were damaged. Two garda patrol cars were destroyed by arson and 15 other garda vehicles were damaged. A Luas tram was set on fire, with sources stating that it may have to be replaced at a cost of €5 million.
The Dublin Fire Brigade said one of its fire engines that responded to the stabbing scene was "pelted with projectiles" and "beaten with iron implements" while attending to a refugee centre that was petrol bombed during the riots.
In July 2024 eight men and one woman were arrested in Dublin, bringing the total number arrested in connection with the riots to 49. All were held in Garda stations in Dublin and ten locations were searched.
Aftermath
On the following morning of 24 November, the Luas Red Line ran a limited service between Tallaght/Saggart and Smithfield. The Green Line ran a limited service between St Stephen's Green and Brides Glen.
Some schools in the vicinity of the riot closed early on 24 November and Temple Street Children's Hospital cancelled clinics for the day, although it remained open for emergencies.
The riot, which occurred a day before the Black Friday shopping day, curtailed consumer spending on that day as most people were likely to avoid the city centre of Dublin. Some businesses opened late and closed early the day after the riots. Arnott's reopened for business from noon until 6pm on 24 November following extensive overnight cleanup by staff. The General Post Office on O'Connell Street also reopened for business at noon on 24 November. The Chief Executive of Retail Excellence reported that trading fell 70% in Dublin city centre compared to the previous Black Friday. On 30 November Bank of Ireland analysis of credit and debit card spending showed that spending was down 46% compared to the previous year on the nearest Friday.