Irish far right openly discussing violence against immigrants on social media

In open discussions broadcast on X, formerly Twitter, in recent weeks, participants discuss how and when 'action' should happen.

Irish far right agitators are openly talking about accessing weapons and planning violence against migrants in broadcasts aired on social media.

In open discussions broadcast on X, formerly Twitter, in recent weeks, participants discuss how and when "action" should happen. The recordings, some lasting up to fours and a half hours, were hosted by an Irish man and two Americans and viewed thousands of times before being deleted.

Some of the extremist discussions have been recorded by the Hope and Courage Collective, formerly known as the Far Right Observatory, and passed on to gardaí. The gardaí would not confirm whether they had launched an investigation.

Observers say the contents of the broadcasts highlight a "troubling" acceleration of the violent rhetoric being used online in recent months.

In one discussion, a user warns violence is "inevitable" and "not far away". At another, a user is urged not to discuss weapons as this is "done offline, in person".

The man says "action is needed" away from electoral politics.

"It's not going to have a happy ending if it's all political," he says. "We can't solve this solely by voting. We need to get a few people in here. The odds are greatly stacked against us, it's time for action."

In other broadcasts, users discuss putting pigs blood on homes to make them unsuitable for Muslims, "making things uncomfortable" for foreign communities and "fighting back" against gardaí who had policed anti-migrant protests.

In one discussion, a user warns violence is 'inevitable' and 'not far away'. At another, a user is urged not to discuss weapons as this is 'done offline, in person'.

Garda sources say officers are monitoring social media posts and broadcasts, though there is some scepticism about posts in recent months claiming to represent far-right paramilitary groups and whether these groups have the capacity to carry out attacks.

The situation has been escalating in recent months, with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris recently upping to "substantial" the threat level from far-right extremists, according to a letter he sent to Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Mark Malone of the Hope and Courage Collective said: "What is contained in these far-right chat spaces is no longer exceptional, though it is instructive about the proximity to base violence when blind hate is involved."

He said "the majority of people were revulsed by some of the 'Says No' movement marching and drinking with loyalist killers" at recent marches in Belfast, but said in Tipperary earlier this week, a local newspaper carried an editorial about how its journalists were reluctant to cover 'Dundrum says No' mobilisations due to threats of violence from the far right.

He said one far-right Irish activist had recently compared "the industrial-scale horrors of Nazi concentration camps to summer holiday resorts".

"This sits completely at odds with the vast majority of people who believe that no matter what we look like or where we come from, we all deserve a place to live, care when we’re sick, and a community where we belong."

He also accused the Government of failing to take urgent action "to reign in tech oligarchs and the social media platforms they profit from while hosting and amplifying far right violence".

"This is despite widespread and popular support for such action."