Varadkar says Cork library protesters 'want to be arrested'

The rally was one of a number being held against LGBT+ material in Irish libraries. Cork City Library closed for the first time in more than a century in March due to a similar protest and was forced to close again earlier in July.

On a visit to Cork, Mr Varadkar expressed solidarity with library workers and said the incidents were "disturbing".

“Libraries are repositories of knowledge, they're repositories of wisdom, they’re where people go to learn things, and I think it's a very disturbing element that we're seeing,” he said.

I think it’s a spillover from abroad into Ireland. The idea that certain books shouldn't be read or certain books should be banned. 

"It's not long after you start burning books, that sometimes people start burning other people. We shouldn't forget our history in that regard.” 

Mr Varadkar said gardaí have to judge when it comes to such incidents whether there is a risk of escalation. 

"There are people on the extreme right, and on the extreme left, who want to be arrested, who want to be able to accuse the gardaí of being heavy-handed and engaging in brutality, and that's why I think the gardaí have to make the right judgement call as to how they deal with each particular incident. I’m confident they're making the right decision.” 

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said Cork people are disgusted by what happened. “The idea that the libraries are deliberately being targeted by people who have political agendas, often who are looking to cause trouble, and are looking to shut down appropriate education facilities, looking to get certain books banned, and intimidating staff, all of that is completely unacceptable.”