https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40211837.htmlLord mayor of Dublin harassed at her home by far-right protestors FRI, 22 JAN, 2021 - 09:58
AOIFE MOORE, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
The Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu has hit out at ongoing racism and intimidation after a group of far-right protestors showed up at her home and challenged her for wearing a face mask.
A female member of the protestors was arrested and later fined for breaching public health laws.
Ms Chu, who was born in Dublin to Chinese parents, has come under sustained and unrelenting abuse online from racist and far-right accounts since becoming lord mayor of Dublin.
She was on the forecourt of the Mansion House when she was approached by five people holding placards and posters. One read "our lives matter" – a play on the Black Lives Matter movement of which Ms Chu has been vocally supportive.
"I didn't think my life was in danger but it was deeply uncomfortable," Ms Chu said.
"They've been calling for my resignation since I spoke about the shooting of George Nkencho. A woman stopped me and stuck her hand out, touching my body, and said: ''pleased to meet you'.
"I said I couldn't shake her hand because of Covid, and then I realised someone was filming me.
"I kept thinking, 'just get back to the door', when two of her mates surrounded me on either side and started questioning why I was wearing a mask.
"I edged towards the door and when I got there one shouted: 'Hazel Chu, you're going to turn into a shapeshifting dragon someday and we're going to catch it on camera'. It was bizarre.
"The guards arrived and there were more people, around 30, and a lot of shouts and screaming."
Gardaí have confirmed they arrested one woman (40s) for breaching public health regulations and she was issued with a Fixed Payment Notice.
Ms Chu's young daughter, Alex, was at a creche at the time of the incident.
"I'm in a weird in-between place because everyone knows where I live," she said.
"Not being able to leave my house for lunch is inconvenient, worrying about my child is more than inconvenient. Your job shouldn't make you worried about your family's safety.
"It's not about my policies because no other Green Party rep is being protested.
If it comes down to one thing – you don't like a woman of colour in this office – then we have a huge problem. We have a vocal minority in this country we have to tackle.
"Is it going to be that we wait for something really bad to happen and we say, 'okay, we'll address it' – and then it's too late? Look at Jo Cox, there has to be more done."
The incident happened after far-right protestors hijacked an annual event to mark the role of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).
The IRB event had been cleared with gardaí but the event was circulated on far-right message boards, urging others, not involved with the IRB, to show up and protest against Ms Chu.
