Burton incident not first time the ‘far left’ has threatened violence

There has been widespread condemnation of the water-charges protest march incident involving Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton. 

What has not been said is that public displays and threats of violence from the organised ‘far-left’ are nothing new in Ireland.

The difference, this time, is that it has been directed at those in positions of power. Previously when it was directed at those who held a more right-wing point of view, it passed without a murmur.

On two occasions in the last three years, an elected member of the European Parliament was prevented from speaking at both University College Dublin and University College Cork, following debate invitations from student societies.

In the first instance, a meeting of the student committee was intruded on and intimidated by a cohort of left-wing ‘persuaders’, following which it had to withdraw the invitation. Rather than support the concept of free political debate, the authorities at UCD instead banned any member of the invited speaker’s group from entering the university. Similar things happened at UCC three months later, when, buoyed with confidence, the organised left announced that a proposed debate involving the same speaker “would not be allowed go ahead”.

The confident language was similar to Paul Murphy’s “we agree to let her go” at Tallaght.

Physical violence was meted out to a European election candidate of the right at another debate in UCD 10 years ago under the banner of a registered national political party that has since adopted a new ‘voter-friendly’ name for its TDs in Dail Eireann.

The measure of real democracy is that political intimidation is condemned equally by media and politicians, irrespective of the political view of the target.

Ted Neville

Turnberry’

Carrigaline Rd

Douglas

Co Cork