Fact Check: No evidence Army was deployed at Dublin riot

There is no evidence that the Irish Army were deployed on the streets of Dublin on Nov. 23 to reinforce police when a riot broke out after a stabbing earlier that day.

An article (archived) published by BNN Network, a website that describes itself as a news organisation operated by “the trailblazers, the guardians and the truth-seekers”, claimed without evidence that the Irish government deployed the Army during the unrest.

It said the Army’s presence was “intended to reinforce” police presence, and that the Irish government had been “firm in its stance” that such a presence would be temporary.

“The government has assured the public that this move is not a sign of impending martial law but a necessary measure to reinstate peace and security in the city,” the article said.

While the Irish government declined to comment on the claim, Reuters found no evidence of the authority making any such announcements.

A spokesperson for the Irish Defence Forces, the overarching name for the armed forces of Ireland, of which the Army is a part, told Reuters on Nov. 24 that no assets were deployed, nor were they requested, in relation to the unrest in central Dublin on Nov. 23.

Reuters correspondent Conor Humphries, who reported on the ground during the riot, said he did not see any army presence and only police presence.

The Irish police have the “primary responsibility for law and order,” the Defence Forces spokesperson said, including the “protection of internal security of the State.”

“Upon request, the Defence Forces can Aid the Civil Authority or Power in certain circumstances,” the spokesperson added.

BNN News did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

An Garda Siochana (Ireland’s police) declined to comment.

Officers arrested 34 people after the Nov. 23 clashes in and around Dublin’s O’Connell Street after five people, including three children, were stabbed earlier that afternoon.

VERDICT

No evidence. The Irish Defence Forces said they did not deploy troops, nor were they requested to do so, on Nov. 23. Reuters found no evidence of the military helping to police the riot.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.