Police say they have not ruled out a motive for the knife attack and warn against the spread of “misinformation.”

There were violent protests IrelandFour people, including three small children, were injured in a suspected knife attack in the capital Dublin.

Clashes with police broke out in the city center on Thursday hours after a five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s were seriously injured in the attack outside a Dublin school. Police said they were receiving emergency treatment.

Two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, suffered less serious injuries. The boy was released from the hospital. According to the Irish broadcaster RTE, the woman works at school and looks after the children.

A man in his 50s was arrested in connection with the incident and was also taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Police said in a statement they were pursuing “a clear line of inquiry” and were “not looking for any other individuals at this time.”

“Based on our investigations, I am very confident that there is no terrorist activity,” Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters after the attack, adding: “It appears to be a standalone attack.”

Ireland’s police chief Drew Harris later told the media that “all lines of inquiry” were open to establish the motive.

“I have never ruled out a possible motive for this attack,” Harris said.

Protesters clash with police

Later in the evening, RTE reported that there were clashes between police and protesters.

The station reported that a police car and a bus were set on fire in the center of the city and that some people broke into a shoe store and were seen running away with items.

Police Chief Harris condemned “disgraceful scenes” and blamed the disruption on a “completely insane faction driven by far-right ideology” and warned of the spread of “misinformation.”

Irish media and witnesses reported that shortly after 1:30 p.m. (1:30 GMT) a man armed with a knife stabbed the victims outside the primary school.

Siobhan Kearney, who witnessed the knife attack, said the scene was “absolutely chaotic” as she initially watched the events unfold from across the street.

“Without thinking, I just walked across the street to help,” she told Irish national broadcaster RTE.

“We have another young man, disarmed [the attacker] Another man took the knife and put it away [police] to find it.”

Kearney said a group of people pinned the suspect to the ground while some of the injured were taken back to the school.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he was shocked by the incident.

“The rescue workers reacted very quickly and were on site within a few minutes. For that I thank them,” he said in a statement.

“Gardai have arrested a suspect and are pursuing a clear line of inquiry.”

Local MP Aodhan O Riordain of the Irish Labor Party described the incident as “disturbing”.

“I understand that a person has been arrested. I hope the injuries are not serious, but regardless it will be extremely traumatic for everyone involved,” he wrote on X.

Mary Lou McDonald, leader of the opposition Sinn Féin party, said she was “appalled” by what happened.

“There is shock throughout the community. I have just spoken to Gaelscoil principal Choláiste Mhuire and expressed my support to the school community,” she said in a statement.

“I would like to express my solidarity with the families of those attacked. As a parent, I can only imagine what they are going through,” she added, praising police for their quick response.