After an Algerian migrant stabbed three children and two adults in Dublin, Ireland, MMA fighter Conor McGregor sent out multiple tweets criticizing the Irish government for the mass migration policies that have put Irish citizens at risk. Riots broke out around Dublin following the report of the attack. McGregor is now under a “hate speech” investigation conducted by the Irish police for his response to the tragic news.
McGregor, who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to call out the commissioner of the Irish Garda, Ireland’s police force, is being investigated under Ireland’s “dissemination of online hate speech” laws.
On November 23rd, news broke that an Algerian migrant had stabbed three children and two adults outside of a school in Dublin. Irish residents responded to this news by rioting and burning down migrant shelters, many Irishmen began calling for the migrants to be removed, chanting, “Get them out!”
Reporter Andy Ngo obtained a statement from a source on the ground in Dublin reading, “Irish people have had enough of violence, sex crimes and housing issues caused by migrants, and the revelation that an immigrant suspect allegedly was responsible for the mass stabbing attack on children in the city center was a breaking point.”
In response to the outrage, commissioner of the Irish Garda, Drew Harris, condemned the “disgraceful scenes” in Dublin and claimed that the protests were a result of a “hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology.“ McGregor quoted this video and called the commissioner’s statement “not good enough.”
“Innocent children ruthlessly stabbed by a mentally deranged non-national in Dublin, Ireland today. Our chief of police had this to say on the riots in the aftermath,” McGregor posted in response. “There is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place and there has been zero action done to support the public in any way,” he continued.
McGregor also quoted a video of a liberal Irish journalist who has previously labeled anti-immigration supporters as “far right” with the caption, “The most divisive of all is the weak man. One of the most horrific crimes this nation ever seen has occurred, we do not care anymore what you sad cases have got to say.” The UFC fighter added, “There will be no backing down until real change is implemented for the safety of our nation. We are not losing any more of our woman and children to sick and twisted people who should not even be in Ireland in the first place.”
After these initial statements, McGregor denounced the rioters who burned and looted various parts of Dublin, explicitly stating that he does not condone the violence, the attacks on first responders, or the looting and damaging of shops; however, Irish police have been quick to investigate his statements as “hate speech.” Many are speculating the investigation surrounds McGregor’s last statement on a post which read, “If they do not act soon with their plan of action to ensure Ireland’s safety, I will.”
After McGregor’s outspoken criticisms of the Irish government garnered hundreds of millions of views, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced that he would “modernize laws against hatred” on social media in a matter of weeks.
“I think it’s now very obvious to anyone who might have doubted us that our incitement hatred legislation is just not up to date,” Varadkar stated, “It’s not up to date for the social media age, and we need that legislation through and we need it through in a matter of weeks – There’s also the individuals who post messages and images online that stir up hatred and violence, and we need to be able to use laws to go after them individually as well.”
