Dublin, the Sports store Putsch.

"Lunatic far right faction" declares Drew Harris, the Comissioner and head of An Garda Siochana, or the Irish police force. Following what seemed like a random knife attack in which two children and a teacher were seriously injured, was disorder, looting and burning.

The attackers identity as of thursday 23rd, the day of the event are unknown. His motives are unclear and therefore further speculation is irrelevant and counter productive. Whats not irrelevant is what followed. Crowds of mainly young males were recorded and shared on social media burning police cars, a tram and pelting the Gardai(police) with missiles. Media reports and eye witness testimony reported the looting of at least two sports goods/apparel stores. Canada Grey goose hoodies and over priced rubber trainers were held aloft by those gathered for "far right" agitation, not beer steins it seems. The putsch, or rather lawlessness is probably closer to a failure of policing and the creation of a privelaged class with little regard for the society which largely funds them.

Gangs of inner city youths comitting violent and anti social acts is sadly common in the Irish capital. Many of these "scumbags"(a highly derisive and inflammatory slang term widely used to describe track-suited anti social youths) live in social housing projects and blocks in some of the most sought after locations in the state. That is, the highly sought after and wildly overpriced city centre. Shared bedrooms in mouldy damp apartments often fetch 2000 euro per month, while high end apartments as much as 5000 plus. The result being most are priced out of the city, and therefore seek affordable housing further and further afield. In turn this means a longer commute via bus or tram.

Our track-suited social welfare recipient class on the other hand live in highly subsidised housing in prime city centre locations. They usually receive a weekly social welfare payment of 200 euro plus. They also enjoy free healthcare and public transport, as well as education. Who pays for this privelage? Well, the taxpaying workforce who on the other end enjoy an effective 21% tax on earnings up to approx 48,000 of earnings aftger which all earnings are taxed at 43%. Effectively half of earnings paid to the government.

Those of us paying half our earnings to others and who have to pay for the luxury of a 2 hour packed tram journey from our overpriced crowded apartment in the suburbs can only watch in disbelief this day as those of our fellow citizens who are provided free travel passes to go nowhere burn the very trams and  uses we rely on to get to our busy underpaid and over taxed jobs in their neighbourhoods in the city. To watch the footage of an open door police car, abandoned and left unlocked by its tax payer funded police occupants(presumably pursuing another trainer clad inner city elite). To then see a pile of burning recycling being placed inside the car, and the door closed is even more jarring.

Its not a surprise I suppose that the Police Comissioner is so eager to place the blame on the sinister "far-right", rather than ask why his officers cant handle the nouveau landed gentry of the inner city.