You do not have the right to intimidate politicians
MOST right-minded people would have been appalled at the recent ugly, nasty scenes outside Government Buildings.
To see TDs being harassed and jostled was most disconcerting.
I found it difficult to witness our public representatives, for whom we have voted and who have a mandate from the people, being abused.
These extreme right-wing protesters brought a mock gallows and photographs of highprofile politicians to this demonstration outside Leinster House, ahead of the Dáil’s return.
The gallows, which featured an effigy of a man hanging from a noose, was incredibly adorned with portraits of politicians including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. It seems that all sides of the House were being attacked by these protesters.
It appeared to me to be a scattergun approach by these objectors against the people that they were attacking. It leaves me feeling perplexed as I don’t know why some people are moving in this direction.
Our democracy is not perfect, but without it, we have very little other than anarchy and dictatorships. I am sorry to say that this recent protest comes under the rubric of thuggery.
It seems these people were protesting over a variety of issues including vaccines, immigration, transgender rights, sex education in schools and hate speech laws.
Of course peaceful protests are permissible. It’s my contention that these dissenters are entitled to hold whatever views they want, but I don’t believe they are entitled to intimidate and frighten people. One has to question the social media element of this, as it was a precursor to these vile protests. Has the rise in conspiracy theories, which has been driven by social media, been a major influence in such extreme opposition?
There seems to me to be a different conversation online to, say, the conversations that are happening on mainstream media. Some of this talk online can be, to my mind, crackpot ideology.
Some people view any disquiet about this as censorship. But some of this online rhetoric can be a catalyst to distrusting mainstream media. That is why we have the rise of people like
Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, Andrew Tate et al.
It’s my hope that the mainstream media sticks to what it always does: providing good journalism. Giving a platform to crazy ideas is not the way to go.
John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co, Tipperary.