Irish Examiner view: Rise in hate must be challenged

If we look around the world, we can see more easy-going values, that sense of live and let live, are struggling to form the prevailing spirit of the times

Evan Somers, after the appalling, and apparently homophobic, attack on him on the night-time city streets of Dublin. Picture: Evan Somers @ebintosh Twitter

The appalling, and apparently homophobic, attack which left a young man seriously injured on the night-time city streets of Dublin at the weekend is another worrying example of a latent and mindless rage in some sections of our society which is vulnerable to social media and exploitation by politicians around the world.

Evan Somers, 23, suffered a fractured eye socket, two fractures to his ankle, a dislocation of an ankle, and other minor injuries after the assault on Dame St, leading Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to tweet “shocked and appalled that an assault of this nature occurred in our capital city. Will discuss with Helen McEntee re Garda presence on our streets and new hate crime laws. Sorry about what happened. Wishing you a swift recovery.”