An anti-immigration protest has been called on social media following a brutal attack in front of a school. The crime was allegedly committed by an immigrant armed with a knife. The person who apprehended the criminal is an immigrant from Brazil.

The story becomes even more confusing due to the fact that the authorities have not confirmed the nationality of the criminal, meaning it is not even known whether he is actually an immigrant. And big plot twist: A Brazilian immigrant becomes an Irish national hero and receives over R$1.5 million in donations as thanks for stopping the attack.

It sounds like a movie script, but the incident took place in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, on Thursday (23). The attack took place in Parnell Square in the city centre, opposite Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire Primary School.

Among the victims, a 5-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman are in serious condition. Another 6-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy suffered minor injuries. The fifth victim was the attacker, a 40-year-old man who was in serious condition. Police have not released information about his identity.

Feeling of shame

According to local press reports and Brazilian students living in Dublin, the absurd story has caused shame in Irish society. The city is one of the cities that receives the largest number of Brazilian exchange students in the world. The Brazilian Embassy in Ireland estimates that 70,000 Brazilians currently live in the country in 2022.

Brazilian students Yuri Ribeiro and Larissa Soares talk about the riots on Thursday (23) in Dublin – Photo: Personal archive/ND

IT student Yuri Ribeiro, 37, has lived in Dublin for six years and details the moral hangover of the Irish population. “The feeling of shame comes from several aspects. Due to the lack of preparation of the local police (Garda) to deal with these types of situations, due to the failure to control the riots, and also due to the anti-immigration message that started the riots.”

As for the motivation behind the demonstrations, Yuri says that “the feeling belongs to a minority, usually consisting of troublemakers who do not bring any benefit to Irish society.” “Not to mention the fact that little is known about the nationality of the criminal. This is the type of fake news that spreads on social networks and takes on gigantic proportions,” comments a student from Brasilia.

Yuri emphasizes that the crowd that caused the riot was largely composed of young troublemakers responsible for crimes and other minor disturbances in the city center. “The protest started with a small group with anti-immigration ideals. However, these people began to invite the population to events in the city center through social networks. What ultimately inflated and radicalized the demonstration was this hooligan group, which is already known for robbing tourists in central Dublin,” he explains.

A Brazilian student says he came face to face with protesters. “I had to walk next to them. They looked at me and I pretended to support this action, laughing. This is done in order to avoid an attack,” he says.

Protesters set a car on fire in Dublin city center on Thursday (23) – Video: Social Media/ND

According to Irish authorities, a total of 48 people were arrested during the riots. The unrest prompted Irish Justice Minister Helen McIntrye to take steps to increase policing in the city centre. In addition to asking for more staff on site, the portfolio holder has allocated more resources to the Gardaí, the newspaper reported this Saturday (25) Irish Times.

“We didn’t even know that the attack was prevented by a Brazilian.”

Larissa Soares, 33, a lawyer and English student in Dublin, describes how she received news of the attack in front of school. “We just found out that a guy armed with a knife attacked people in front of the school and that someone else stopped him. We don’t know whether he was an immigrant or not. We didn’t even know that the attack was prevented by a Brazilian,” he recalls.

Larisa says she was at mass at the church she usually attends when she received a message on her cell phone that the city center was being destroyed. “I received many photos and videos through WhatsApp and also information that this group of protesters, if they can be called protesters, were protesting against immigrants after the attack in front of the school. They set fire to buses and trains, looted many large brand stores and destroyed the entire center.”

Brazilian immigrants experience moments of tension

Larissa says the group of Brazilians and others present at the church experienced moments of tension. “All of us in the church were nervous about this information. On the way out we were told that people were being attacked and that buses and taxis were not running. We were asked to be careful as they attack foreigners. Just today I heard reports of a Brazilian woman who was attacked on the street by a man who persistently asked her to show her identity.”

The Teresina, Brazil, native said she could also feel the shame on many Irish faces in the days after the attack. “This group is a small minority and does not represent the local community that has always lived with immigrants. Many Irish people have come to me to apologize for these troubled young people who have no profession and are spreading hatred towards immigrants. We had previously heard reports about them, but now the activities of this group have intensified after the attack on the school. We left the house a little scared.”

Who is the Brazilian who stopped the attacker?

The Brazilian who stopped the attacker from continuing his attacks in front of a school in Dublin is Caio Benicio, 43, from Rio. In an interview with a newspaper Irish TimesThe Brazilian said he was walking through Parnell Square when he saw the attacker.

Kayo said he thought it was a “regular fight” but later realized the child had been stabbed. He then stopped his motorcycle and walked towards the scene with his helmet in his hand and hit the attacker in the head several times.

“I just acted, I didn’t even have time to get scared. I think people who have children would do the same,” he said. For the Brazilian father of two, anti-immigrant protests “make no sense” because he is an immigrant and was one of those responsible for stopping the aggressor.

As a sign of gratitude, the Irish donated money for Kayo. The campaign, called “Buy a beer for Cayo Benicio,” had a goal of raising 200 thousand euros, but 335 thousand euros have already been collected (currently 1.7 million reais). As of Saturday afternoon (25), approximately 31,500 donations had been made.

Watch more videos of destruction in Dublin city center

A train carriage was set on fire during the riots this Thursday (23) in Dublin – Video: Social media reproduction/ND

Clashes between protesters and a police officer in the center of Dublin – Video: Reproduction of social networks/ND