Dublin riot highlights serious gaps in our policing strategy

Crime

Without a fundamental change to Garda policy and leadership, last week’s violent disturbances could well be repeated

The knife attack in Dublin city centre on Thursday afternoon was unprecedented and horrible.

The riot that followed is an entirely different matter, however. There has been a pattern of gratuitous misbehaviour and protest over recent years carried out by people with few or no discernible aims.

The recent protests outside the Dáil were a classic example of this emerging phenomenon, but not the only one. At one such protest in September, mock gallows were …