There is “every chance” a politician will be violently attacked in the run up to next month’s election, Paul Murphy has said. 

Last night, angry protestors gathered outside the home of Taoiseach Simon Harris as his children were being put to bed.

Mr Harris described the incident was not “appropriate” and said people’s homes should be “out of bounds” to protestors.

The homes of Roderic O’Gorman, Stephen Donnelly and Paul Murphy have also been targeted and consideration is being given to whether such protests should be made illegal.

Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, Deputy Murphy said he has become extremely “worried” about the direction of politics in Ireland.

“I think there is every chance that politicians will face violent incidents in the course of the local elections,” he said.

“Some people, a minority, are being whipped up to such a frenzy and taught that we are bringing people into the country [and] causing the housing crisis.

“So, I think things are at a serious point and I would make the point that politicians’ lives are no more valuable than anyone else’s.

“Asylum seekers have already been assaulted, we are facing very dangerous things in this country.”

Paul Murphy. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

Despite this, the People Before Profit TD said politicians have “no choice” but to continue to campaign and canvas in the run up to polling day.

“If we don’t do that, then you allow these people to win,” he said.

Deputy Murphy cited the pandemic and invasion of Ukraine as two issues that have pushed politics into “quite a nasty direction”.

He also urged his fellow left-wingers to reach out to those protesting.

“There are very conscious far-right elements who have used this to drag people down into a sewer,” he said.

“There are people who know exactly what they’re doing, there are people who know that they’re telling lies, they know what they’re saying isn’t the truth.

“There are other people who don’t know that and they’re just been caught up in it.”

The local and European elections will be held on June 7th.

Main image: Paul Murphy. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie