Gardaí examine threats to President Michael D Higgins

Gardaí are examining social media content that has threatened President Michael D Higgins.

Gardaí are examining social media content that has threatened President Michael D Higgins.

The online posts came after the President signed the Health Amendment Bill into law, the legal basis for 'vaccine passports'.

A number of anti-lockdown and far-right Facebook pages called for Mr Higgins to be killed or forcibly removed from Áras an Úachtaráin. 

Mr Higgins was also personally targeted by crowds at Saturday's lockdown protests in Dublin.

A garda spokesperson said: "An Garda Síochána are examining some recent social media content which refers to the President of Ireland.

"An Garda Síochána considers any suggestion in respect of the threat to use violence and/ or perpetration of violence in a general sense or against named individuals or organisations as a matter of serious concern and could potentially be subject to criminal investigation in respect of such matters."

The level of abuse levelled at the President has led to calls for stronger controls of online content.

Labour TD Duncan Smith said more needs to be done to tackle the spread of "hate-filled language".

"To see the office and the person targeted in this manner is very nasty for the future of our politics," he said.

Fine Gael's Neale Richmond said social media companies had been "found wanting again".

"Some of the rhetoric has been absolutely toxic and, once again, social media companies have been found wanting."

A Facebook spokesperson told The Irish Examiner that the company has invested in a 35,000-strong global safety and security team and would remove any content that is threatening.

“We do not allow threatening behaviour or content on our platform and we remove it when we become aware of it. If Facebook and Instagram users repeatedly share threatening content, we will remove their accounts.”