Conor McGregor, the popular mixed martial arts fighter, criticized Irish authorities on Friday for their response to the protests. It all started on Thursday when a school witnessed a knife attack that left three children injured. Faced with this situation, the streets of Dublin were filled with protesters who then clashed with the local police, burned vehicles and vandalized the city.
According to authorities, some 34 arrests had been made as of Friday. Drew Harris, a local commissioner, claimed that "misinformation" about the attacker's nationality had led to the riots. At the same time, the European media described the protesters as "crazy ultras driven by the extreme right."
"We will not tolerate a small number of people using atrocious events to sow division," Justice Minister Helen McEntee said in a statement, adding that attacks on police will be dealt with "severely."
Innocent children ruthlessly stabbed by a mentally deranged non-national in Dublin, Ireland today. Our chief of police had this to say on the riots in the aftermath. Drew, not good enough. There is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place, and… https://t.co/ac6j1GIjXD
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 23, 2023
Faced with this scenario, McGregor initially described the situation as "a war" and then pointed directly to the authorities' response.
"Innocent children ruthlessly stabbed by a mentally deranged non-national in Dublin, Ireland today. Our chief of police had this to say on the riots in the aftermath. Drew, not good enough. There is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place, and there has been zero action done to support the public in any way, shape or form with this frightening fact. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Make change or make way. Ireland for the victory. God bless those attacked today, we pray," he wrote on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.
So far, the authorities have not revealed the attacker's nationality, whom Commissioner Liam Geraghty defined as a "person of interest" to the police.
