The violent protest was sparked this afternoon following an incident in the North city centre
Several nightclubs, restaurants and bars have closed in the wider city centre tonight amid safety concerns for staff and patrons. Footage of escalating tensions began to be seen on social media following the attack outside a Dublin primary school at lunchtime today, with scenes of protesters gathering around the Parnell Square/O'Connell Street area stopping the passage of public transport and Garda vehicles. These protests then escalated into violent scenes near the site of the attack, with a garda car and a tram set on fire and
some footage shows some protesters involved in scuffles with gardaí, looting shops, while others threw bottles at officers.
Footage of the violent clashes between gardai and protesters has been shared widely on social media, with colleagues from Joe.ie sharing a shocking scene recorded from O'Connell street of his walk home, which shows a Dublin bus on fire and protesters attacking a lone garda. With bus and luas services suspended and Frontline Gardaí backed up by Public Order Units deployed throughout the city centre, the public is advised to avoid North City Centre and the South City Quays at this time.
Several well-known Dublin businesses have announced closures, following an order issued by
DublinTown advising all businesses to close. Businesses have taken the tough decision to close their doors in the lead-up to one of the busiest times of the year. Here's a brief roundup of all the businesses we spotted:
The George, on George's Street
The Big Romance on Parnell Street
Wigwam on Middle Abbey Street
Bosh Burger on Eden Quay
DisnDat on Dame Court
Please stay inside and stay safe everyone.
