‘Chilling effect on democracy’
Democracy under threat: “That’s not political protest; that’s intimidation"
Waterford TD Marc Ó’Cathasaigh (Green Party) denounced a recent incident at a Government Minister's home. On Thursday evening, April 18, masked protestors gathered at Minister Roderic O’ Gorman’s house in Dublin.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has been targeted by protest groups in the past, but the recent event revealed a heightened level of intensity, with the group plastering banners on the street that carried slogans like “Close the Borders”.
A Garda representative stated that there was "no clear guidance" in dealing with such a disturbance.
The Waterford News & Star spoke with Deputy Ó’Cathasaigh about the recent incidents.
He said: “That’s not political protest; that’s intimidation. This has a real chilling effect on democracy.”
On the matter of the Gardaí response, Deputy Ó’Cathasaigh said that the matter should be raised with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and the Department of Justice.
There are concerns that similar disturbances will impact on local candidates as the local elections approach.
One Waterford local election candidate, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their fear of canvassing after being targeted by far-right groups.
Deputy Ó’Cathasaigh commented: “It's hard enough to get candidates to run, then they have to deal with this kind of thing. It’s a relatively new phenomenon in Irish life. Since the referendum, there’s been a pushback, between the hate speech legislation and the recent murder of Croatian man Josif Strok; it's clearly racially and ethnically motivated.” Speaking on the racist rhetoric of protestors, he ended: “I can’t help but think of children I taught in Tramore, who come from all kinds of diverse backgrounds, how do they feel hearing that?”
