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In the wake of a knife attack in Dublin last week that sparked Ireland’s worst anti-immigrant violence in recent memory, people in the country and beyond are celebrating a Brazilian immigrant who intervened to end the assault.
An online fundraiser set up to “Buy Caio Benicio a pint”, a standard token of appreciation in the country, had as of Saturday afternoon (Ireland time) raised more than €330,000 (about $550,000) for Benicio, a Rio de Janeiro native who lives in the Irish capital and witnessed the stabbing while passing by on his moped.
Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio stopped a knife attacker outside a Dublin school. Credit: Getty Images
Benicio, who was on a job for the delivery service Deliveroo, told Irish national broadcaster, RTE, that he slowed down when he saw what appeared to be a fight, but which turned out to be a man stabbing a small girl while a woman tried to pull her away from the attacker.
“It was everything by instinct – I remember I took off my helmet, to protect myself and use it as a weapon,” he said. “Just hit him in the head with all the power I have. And he fell down.”
Police confirmed on Saturday that a five-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s were being treated for serious injuries and were hospitalised; two other children were treated for less serious injuries, police said.
Although authorities have not publicly identified the citizenship of the attacker, who witnesses described as a man in his 50s, rumours spread online claiming that he was an immigrant, drawing many members of the far right to central Dublin on Thursday, some holding signs reading “Irish Lives Matter”. The protest quickly escalated, and roughly 500 people, mostly young men, vandalised cars, looted shops and attacked hostels and hotels where immigrants were thought to be staying, according to authorities.
By the end of the night, police had deployed 400 officers and arrested 34 people, in what has been described as the worst rioting in the country in years. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said those behind the violence had brought shame to Ireland.
It was not lost on many of those who rushed to buy Benicio a proverbial beer that an immigrant had intervened in an attack that then inflamed anti-immigrant sentiment. As of Saturday afternoon, the campaign, on GoFundMe, had attracted more than 31,000 single donations – many of which were for €5 or €6, or the average price of a pint.
“Thank you for your amazing act of bravery,” wrote Aoife Brennan, who gave €50, according to the GoFundMe page. “Ireland is a better place because of wonderful people like you,” she added.
Another online fundraising campaign for the children and the woman injured by the attacker had attracted pledges totalling more than €220,000 by Saturday afternoon.
Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio, who stopped a knife attacker outside a school, in Dublin, Ireland on Friday.Credit: Getty Images
Benicio told the Irish news media that he had been living in Dublin for a year and was trying to save up to bring his wife and two children to Ireland. As for intervening in the attack, he said he had simply seized the moment.
“When you see a man with a knife in his hands,” he told RTE, “you don’t even think about it, you act by instinct.” He added, “Any parent would do the same.”
After the violence took hold on Thursday, Varadkar said: “This is not who we are. This is not who we want to be, and this is not who we will ever be.” Those supporting the campaign for Benicio echoed the prime minister’s sentiment.
“Thank you so much Caio, you deserve every penny that you get,” wrote Aine Waters, one of the online donors. “You took off your helmet to help while others covered up their faces and wore hats later to terrorise. You are a true hero, and I am so happy that you came to live in Ireland.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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