Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault by a far-right election candidate against the relative of a rival politician on Sunday.
Philip Dwyer is alleged to have assaulted the 66-year-old father of People Before Profit candidate Kellie McConnell during an incident on Main Street in Bray, Co Wicklow. Videos and images from the incident show Mr Dwyer, who is running as an independent, brandishing an extendable baton.
“Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault which occurred on the Main Street in Bray on Sunday morning, November 24th, 2024,” a Garda spokesman said in response to queries.
Mr Dwyer did not respond to requests for comment. On social media, he said he was the one who was assaulted. He posted that he was attacked by “pro abortion pro transgender Social Democrats” alongside a video showing the People Before Profit team. The video does not depict any assault.
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Another video captured by the People Before Profit team shows Mr Dwyer with the baton raised, claiming he had been pushed. He can be heard saying, “You abortionists, get out of here, outside a Christian church.” This video also does not capture an assault by any party.
Ms McConnell told The Irish Times she was campaigning with her parents outside the Holy Redeemer Church on Sunday morning when Mr Dwyer approached her and asked her to debate with him.
She said she knew from experience there was no point in debating with Mr Dwyer and told him she did not want to engage with him.
Ms McConnell said she decided to cut short the canvas and leave the area. She said at this point Mr Dwyer pushed her father, whom she described as a disabled pensioner, to the ground before producing an extendable baton.
She said her parents later made a report to gardaí and she reported the incident to the crime protection officer designated to her as an election candidate. Ms McConnell expressed frustration with the Garda response to the incident and said they did not seem to know who Mr Dwyer was.
When her parents first went to the Garda station they were told to return later to make a statement as gardaí were too busy, she said. She also said the crime prevention officer’s phone was turned off when she initially tried contacting them.
Mr Dwyer, who is from Tallaght, Dublin, has run in multiple local, European and general elections, failing to win a seat each time.
He describes himself as a citizen journalist and has built up a significant social media following by posting provocative videos on immigration, many of which contain false information.
The former postman was previously a member of the far-right National Party before leaving after he was criticised for filming a political video at the grave of murder victim Ashling Murphy. He subsequently helped found the Ireland First party and ran under its banner in the local and European elections earlier this year.
He has registered to run in the upcoming general election as an independent and has listed his occupation as “student journalist”.
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