‘We were literally preparing to give our newborn baby a bath,’ says TD on social media

Socialist TD Paul Murphy has posted on social media about protests at his home by what he described as elements of the political far right.

Mr Murphy posted a picture of 11 people outside his home in Tallaght, Dublin, most of whom had their faces obscured or who were wearing hoods.

Mr Murphy said : “Far right protesting outside our home right now. We were literally preparing to give our newborn baby a bath”.

The message was posted at 7.46pm on Monday night.

From what could be discerned from the picture at least one placard read : “Concerned communities say no”. Another poster read in part : “If you care for your kids you should be [unreadable]”.

Attempts to contact Mr Murphy later on Monday night were not successful.

Demonstrating outside politicians’ homes has become a tactic by protest groups in recent years.

Among those who have been targeted in the past are Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice Simon Harris. In September 2021 a small number of protesters gathered outside Mr Varadkar’s home in the south inner city in Dublin on a Sunday afternoon.

Gardaí attended the incident in Dublin 8 where it is understood a number of anti-vaccine demonstrators gathered for about an hour.

Protesters gathered outside the Co Wicklow home of Mr Harris on a number of occasions in early 2019, when he and his wife were taking care of their newborn baby. The protest sparked criticism from Mr Varadkar who said it was “disgusting”.

The self-styled Anti Eviction Flying Column said it would repeat such protests. On another occasion members of a group that calls itself the Fingal Battalion Direct Action Group were monitored outside the Harris house by gardaí before dispersing.

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has suggested that the Government should consider if there is legislation that could be used for incidents like this, but Minister Simon Coveney has previously said it would be “very difficult” to bring in a law to prevent protests taking place outside the homes of politicians.

Irish Times Report, April 24 2023

Confronting the Irish Far Right – Solidarity with Paul Murphy TD and Jess Spear – “this was a new low and should never happen again”

On Monday April 24 2023 a serious incident occurred outside the family home of Paul Murphy TD (People Before Profit, Dublin South-West) and his partner Jess Spear.

Our friends at the Cedar Lounge Blog have highlighted the story [1]

Fair play to Seán Crowe TD (Sinn Féin), a constituency colleague of Paul Murphy, who issued a strong solidarity statement. All other left wing deputies, elected representatives, activists etc should endorse Crowe’s statement. That is a minimum. Paul and his partner Jess Spear must be unconditionally supported, and the left should move forward, openly organising and marginalising far-right anti-civilization thugs.

Tomás Ó Flatharta

Photos : Paul Murphy TD and General Election 2020 team ; Seán Crowe TD speaks to the media ; far-right anti-civilization thugs outside Paul Murphy’s house

Statement Issued by Seán Crowe TD (Sinn Féin, Dublin South-West  :

I was appalled at the protest outside of Paul Murphy’s home last night. For a group to turn up at my constituency colleague’s home where he lives with his partner Jess and their newly born baby is simply inexcusable and a new low.

It is also deeply unfair to their neighbours who felt barricaded in their homes by an anti-immigrant rabble, fearful of what they might face or might happen if they went outside their own front door.

I fully support the right to legitimate protest. I have been an activist for all my adult life, for decades in this community and beyond, but this is something that no one should have to go through as they’re bathing their young child before bed.

This was a new low and should never happen again.”

Seán Crowe TD