DANGEROUS BLAZE | 

Staff and guests ‘unharmed’ after Dublin hotel set on fire by city centre rioters

In a statement to the Sunday World, a spokesman for Holiday Inn said their staff were not injured during the terrifying incident.

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Shocking moment rioters set Dublin City centre Holiday Inn alight

Today at 13:54

The owners of a hotel set on fire by rioters in Dublin last night have said their staff and guests were “unharmed” in the sickening attack.

The Holiday Inn Express on Dublin’s Cathal Brugha Street was set ablaze by vandals last night as they rampaged through the city centre.

In a shocking video clip, rioters can be heard laughing as the hotel catches fire after being targeted because they believed immigrants were inside.

This morning, photographs showed how the hotel was now boarded up after being gutted by the fire.

In a statement to the Sunday World, a spokesman for Holiday Inn said their staff were not injured during the terrifying incident.

“We are aware of the situation late last night at our Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is our number one priority and we are pleased to report that they are all safe and unharmed.

“We are continuing to work with local authorities at this difficult time.”

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has confirmed a total of 34 arrests for public order offences so far overnight.

Mr Harris described last night’s scenes as “disgraceful”.

He said 13 shops have been significantly damaged or subject to looting, 11 garda vehicles destroyed through arson or extensively damaged, three Dublin Buses destroyed and a Luas tram.

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Mr Harris said one member of An Garda Síochána has “regrettably” been seriously injured and numerous other members have been injured.

He said the motive for the attack yesterday afternoon is still not clear and he will not engage in speculation.

Gardaí said a large garda presence in the city today includes members of the Garda Public Order Unit.

“Huge destruction from a riotous mob who were in effect responding, and trying to break into and disrupt the crime scene. Order was restored between 8.30pm and 9pm as we deployed more resources,” he said.

“An Garda Síochána responded to this entirely and in an extraordinary fashion. Members from across the country responded, returned to duty, public order units from all over Ireland responded to Dublin.

“But we could not have anticipated that in response to a terrible crime, the stabbing of school children and their teacher, that this would be the response.

“In effect, those filled with hate and the hate directed towards An Garda Síochána, that they would attempt to storm through our cordon and disrupt a crime scene and then engage in violence, looting and disorder.

“Nobody could have anticipated that when these awful events started at 1.30pm.”

Mr Harris said gardaí were monitoring the “build up of tensions on social media and were constantly adding to resources that were available”.

“It has to be said that the crowds of those, who in the first place protested, were then supplemented with those who were only intent to cause crime, disorder and the looting of premises.

“Gardaí reacted quickly and were able to clamp down on that looting. This is not a failure of personnel, everyone responded to this and stood up to the plate, I now have to look at the tactics that we have for public order.

“We have not scene a public order situation like this before, this may be behaviour that is apparent in other countries, but I think that we’ve seen an element of radicalisation.