Violence erupts in Dublin between civilians, police after school stabbing 

Riot police clashed with civilians armed with metal bars in Dublin Thursday night as violence erupted hours after a stabbing incident near an Irish school.

Vehicles were set ablaze and officers were attacked in the riots, which occurred after a 5-year-old girl was seriously injured and three others hospitalized in the stabbing earlier in the day.

Police said more than 400 officers, many in riot gear, were deployed in Dublin city center to contain the unrest. Businesses were urged to stay closed Friday until the streets calmed.

“We have a complete lunatic hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology, and also then this disruptive tendency engaged in serious violence,” said Ireland’s top police officer, Drew Harris, according to The Associated Press reported