Gardaí were called to the home of Minister Roderic O’Gorman on Thursday, April 18, after a group of masked men covered the politician’s home with anti-immigration propaganda banners.

Videos posted on social media show large banners posted in front of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s home in a Blanchardstown housing estate, containing messages previously used to target asylum seekers looking for accommodation in Dublin. The clips also show masked men standing in the road and preventing a car from turning onto the street.

The men hung banners from railings outside O’Gorman’s home which demanded he “close the borders”. At least one of the banners referenced a “plantation”, which is a term used by white nationalists in Ireland who subscribe to the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, claiming that countries with predominantly white European populations are under threat from immigration.

These utter creeps have done *this* to Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s house. They should all be arrested for harassment.

It is only a matter of time before an Irish politician is killed by these fascists.
H/t @IrishRebel1965
pic.twitter.com/INZg3iu86r

— John O’Brennan (@JohnOBrennan2) April 18, 2024

Gardaí told The Journal that they received a call shortly after 8pm on Thursday “following reports of a public gathering involving a small group of individuals outside a private residence in the Blanchardstown area.”

Gardaí confirmed that they remained present at the scene “until the group dispersed a short time later,” but no arrests were made.

Many citizens and elected officials have expressed their concerns about a growing emboldened far-right movement in Ireland and a lack of action by Gardaí to address the harassment attempts. Jennifer Whitmore TD warned against the intimidation tactics which she says have “no place in our country and democracy.”

The scenes from Min O Gorman’s house tonight are disgusting. This kind of intimidation has no place in our country and democracy. You can be annoyed and angry at Govt policy but protest at constituency offices or the Dail…leave people’s homes and families out of it.

— Jennifer Whitmore TD (@WhitmoreJen) April 18, 2024

Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan said she was “at a loss as to how and why there was no intervention by Gardai” after masked men gathered to intimidate someone at their private residence.

Furthermore, NXF Board Director Adam Long expressed: “The National LGBT Federation (NXF) joins in the widespread condemnation of the targeting of Minister Roderic O’Gorman at his family home yesterday. This kind of harassment is reprehensible and entirely unacceptable and can in no way be described as legitimate protest.

“Serious consideration must be given to strengthening the law in this area if that is what is required to prevent a reoccurrence of such shameful scenes,” Mr Long added, referring to proposed legislation from Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne, which would make it an offence to target an individual’s home as part of a protest.

Since news of these events broke out this morning, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee also condemned the action of the anti-immigration group.

Minister O’Gorman’s privacy and property have been violated in a disgusting and shocking manner. I’ve spoken to the Garda commissioner. This cannot be tolerated.

— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) April 19, 2024

Speaking to the media in Co. Carlow, Harris said: “I spoke to Minister O’Gorman about this situation this morning,” the Taoiseach said.

“I was utterly horrified to see this situation. We all recognise the right to protest in a democracy but when you see masked people gathering outside somebody’s family home, I think that’s extraordinarily chilling, disturbing and quite frankly disgusting.”

The Taoiseach continued, “I feel deeply uncomfortable that this situation was allowed to develop outside the home of any person, public figure or otherwise, government or opposition, and I hope in due course to have an opportunity to discuss this with the gardaí.”

A recent study about online disinformation revealed that far-right influence is growing in Ireland as harmful and misleading content targeting LGBTQ+ people and migrants spreads online. Most of this far-right and anti-immigration content comes from users outside the country, mostly from the UK and the US.