Paul Murphy protest remarks trigger outrage

Anti-austerity TD Paul Murphy has been condemned from across the political spectrum for insisting the President is a legitimate target for protest.

After comments he made to the Irish Examiner sparked a political firestorm, Government and opposition parties united to defend the special status of the office of President.

The controversy erupted after a video emerged of anti-water charge protesters chasing after the President’s car and verbally abusing Michael D Higgins as he left a school.

Mr Murphy said he stood over remarks that the President is a legitimate focus for demonstrations because he signed the Water Services Bill into law without sending it for review, but insisted he did not support people calling Mr Higgins a “midget” or other abuse.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he “deplored” the tone of the attacks on the President.

“I have to say that in the last 12 months I have met quite a number of people myself, and it’s not just aggression, not just anger, that they were putting forth, but in some cases absolute hatred, because I’m reading people’s faces for a long time — it’s a very small number.

“And for deputy Paul Murphy to say this was warranted and was perfectly reasonable is not in keeping with any essence of democracy where the President is pilloried like this,” Mr Kenny told Newstalk.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar said abusing the president was akin to an “attack on the Constitution”.

“As the water protesters get fewer, they’re getting nastier,” Mr Varadkar told RTÉ.

The leaders of the anti-water charge opposition parties, Micheál Martin and Gerry Adams, both insisted the President should not be subjected to protest.

“The scenes of people harassing and abusing our President are outrageous and absolutely unacceptable. The holder of the office of president is above politics, represents the entire nation and deserves respect.

"Those involved and those public representatives who would seek to justify their actions should reflect seriously on what happened and the very negative precedent they are trying to set in Irish public life,” said Fianna Fáil’s Mr Martin.

. @LorHiggins Lorraine, what happened to the President was utterly unacceptable.

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) January 28, 2015

“No, I don’t agree with Paul Murphy,” Sinn Féin’s Mr Adams said.

Paul Murphy wrong on protests against Uachtaran.

— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) January 28, 2015

Mr Murphy said that yesterday’s Irish Examiner report on his comments was accurate, but he claimed the headline was misleading. However, the TD insisted the President was not beyond politics.

“I don’t accept the kind of legal formalism that says the President is above politics. I defend the right of the people to protest, including to protest against the President. I don’t defend personal abuse, calling him a midget. I’m happy to condemn the personal abuse of someone.

“I think it’s fair enough for people to protest against him in a peaceful manner, yes,” Mr Murphy told RTÉ.

The TD called on those protesters who verbally attacked the President to apologise for what they said. I think they should apologise for using personal abuse, for the names that they called him.

“That’s inappropriate, it doesn’t add anything to the cause against the water charges.

“I think I know who they were, I think I’ve seen them on previous protests.

“I don’t have their phone numbers, and couldn’t pick up the phone to ring them, no,” Mr Murphy said.

Labour TDs and senators, at their parliamentary meeting, expressed outrage at the abuse the President was subjected to, with some suggesting legal moves were needed to prevent arepeat.

An anti-water charge protester heard on the footage shouting at the President, Derek Byrne, whose protest group will be taking part in planned demonstrations in Dublin this Saturday, apologised for calling the head of state a “midget”, but not for branding him a “parasite”.

Here is the interview with Derek Byrne where he apologises for calling President Higgins a 'Midget' - https://t.co/HpJCS0r9mV

— Niall Boylan (@Niall_Boylan) January 28, 2015

READ MORE:Paul Murphy TD: ‘Protesters should apologise’ for abusive remarks towards President Higgins