Dublin riots: Immigrant Deliveroo driver 'hit attacker with helmet' to save little girl

Caio Benicio, a Brazilian, said he acted out of 'pure instinct' when he stepped in to defend the child

Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio, who stopped a knife attacker outside a school. Getty Images

A Brazilian Deliveroo driver who stepped in to defend a young girl from a knife attack in Dublin that sparked rioting has spoken out, saying: "It looks like they hate immigrants."

Caio Benicio, 43, said he was on his bike when he saw the attack unfold and immediately dismounted, took off his helmet and hit the man with it.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin praised Mr Benicio on Friday, saying his part “should not be forgotten” and said he may have saved other children from attack.

“We had a horrific, violent attack on children and adults, we think of them, and we think of the Deliveroo person who came along to save the situation, perhaps for other children,” he said.

Violence broke out in the wake of Thursday afternoon's attack after at least 100 people took to the streets, some with their faces covered and armed with metal bars.

It spiralled into a night of violence and disorder as buses, trams and at least one Garda vehicle were burnt and shops were looted on one of Dublin’s most famous throughfares, O’Connell Street.

There were clashes with riot police as some demonstrators let off flares and fireworks, while others flung chairs and stools grabbed from outside bars and restaurants.

Police blamed far-right agitators for starting the violence after a small group of anti-immigration protesters arrived at the scene of the stabbing and clashed with police.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised to use the full resources of the law and the full machinery of the state to punish those involved in the “grotesque events” in Dublin. He said measures will be put in place to ensure that any repeated attempts will meet the “full measure of the law”.

“As a country we need to reclaim Ireland, we need to take it away from the cowards who hide behind masks and try to terrify us with their violence,” he said.

“We need to reclaim Ireland from the unscrupulous who prey on the fears of those easily led into darkness and we need to reclaim Ireland from the criminals who seek any excuse to unleash harm on our streets.”

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris singled out a "complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology" for the disorder.

A police cordon was set up around the Irish parliament building, Leinster House, late on Thursday night with officers from the Garda Mounted Support Unit in nearby Grafton Street, as concerns rose that the violence may spread to the seat of Ireland's democratic institutions.

Shortly before midnight, gardai said calm had been restored in the city.

The five-year-old girl was seriously injured in the stabbing attack outside a school, which also left a woman and two other children injured.

Mr Benicio said he acted on "pure instinct" when he intervened.

“I didn’t even make a decision, it was pure instinct, and it was all over in seconds. He fell to the ground, I didn’t see where the knife went, and other people stepped in,” he told Irish newspaper The Journal.

“I have two kids myself, so I had to do something. I did what anyone would do. People were there but they couldn’t step in because he was armed, but I knew I could use my helmet as a weapon.”

Mr Benicio said he was sad to see the outbreak of violence, adding: “It looks like they hate immigrants. Well I am an immigrant, and I did what I could to try and save that little girl."

Mr Benicio, who came to Ireland for work, said he hopes his children can join him one day.

Mr Martin condemned the rioting in Dublin, saying “this is not who we are as a people”.

Before a meeting of the British-Irish Council at Dublin Castle, the Tanaiste said in the first instance his thoughts are with the families of the children and adults who were injured in the knife attack.

Turning to the later rioting, Mr Martin acknowledged people are “obviously very, very concerned” about “the lawlessness and the rioting that occurred last evening in our city”.

"Ireland has built a modern and inclusive society. It is something precious that we should all work to hold,” he said.

“We understand the need to respect others, the need to respect difference and the need to respect the dignity of every human being. This is something that we should hold precious and we should collectively, as a society, come together to recommit to those fundamental values.”

Police dispatched 400 officers, many of whom were in riot gear, to contain the unrest. Officers made 34 arrests. Police said convicted rioters could face prison sentences of up to 12 years.

Commissioner Harris said on Friday one Garda officer received a serious injury, with "numerous other members injured" when missiles were thrown at them.

The aftermath of the Dublin riots - in pictures

He said there was an “element of radicalisation” in the riots in Dublin on Thursday.

He told a press conference on Friday: “These are scenes that we have not seen in decades but what is clear is that people have been radicalised through social media and the internet."

He said 13 shops were significantly damaged or looted and 11 Garda cars were damaged during the chaotic scenes in the aftermath of a knife attack which left three young children and a woman injured.

Later, 32 people are to appear before court in the city.

The woman, a teacher in her 30s, also suffered serious injuries during the knife attack shortly after 1.30pm. The two other children, who are pupils at the school, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, sustained less serious injuries and the boy was discharged from hospital.

Police said preliminary indications suggest that the man attacked a number of people on Parnell Square East.

A man in his late 40s, also being treated for serious injuries, was arrested by police who said they were not looking for any other suspect.