MEMBERS OF THE public have said they were “heartbroken” by an incident at Grand Canal Square yesterday where a group of teenagers threw fireworks at people who were salsa dancing.

A similar incident happened last week and a video was posted online which showed fireworks being directed towards the water as dozens of passersby were also seen in the vicinity. 

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, said it was a miracle no one was injured and decried the behaviour as “mindless and dangerous”.

Jim called Liveline to say he was salsa dancing yesterday outside of the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and described it as a “family day with children”.

However, a group of teenagers then came on bikes and started throwing fireworks at the group.

Jim added that one of the dancers was assaulted.

Speaking to Liveline on RTÉ, Jim said the incident began at around 7pm when a group on bikes began “circling us”.

“Then they started letting off fireworks around 10 meters away from us and they started setting off bangers and getting closer to us,” Jim said.

He said the dancers then became “nervous” and “concerned”.

Jim said the teenagers were “chased away” and that he called gardaí at 7.30pm to “let them know what was happening”.

Soon after, Jim said the group “came back and started aiming the fireworks at us”.

“One of the fireworks exploded in the group and nearly hit one of the kids,” he said.

He added that one of the dancers “pushed one of the guys that was firing the fireworks at us off the bike and as a return, he got punched in the face”.

“Then more of their friends came back and started throwing bikes at us and threatening us,” said Jim, who alleged that one of the group shouted “I’m going to kill you”.

He said the guards “turned up around an hour later”.

Property developer Harry Crosbie also phoned Liveline and said he saw the incident.

Crosbie said he’s lived and worked in the area his whole life and that “there is a serious problem” when he has to “ring up the radio and tell you that I was scared”.

He described the incident as “shocking” and said one of the big problems in the area is that it is not properly lit and that businesses should leave their lights on.

Crosbie said things are “definitely” getting worse and that it “broke my heart to see what happened the other night”.

Another caller who also witnessed the incident said the group of teenagers “were prowling around the area on their electric bikes so you couldn’t catch them”.

“It was so menacing,” she said.

“After they attacked the salsa dancers, they were getting closer and throwing the fireworks around the Bord Gáis and then I saw him throw the fireworks at the crowd of dancers.

“I was so scared because it was so dangerous and there was no security in the area.”

In a statement to The Journal, a garda spokesperson said gardaí received a report of fireworks being let off in the direction of people at Grand Canal Dock last night and that investigations are ongoing at this time.