Leo Varadkar Assaulted verbally while out jogging

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917099#Comment_118917099

And you would have people on here commenting on him out with a security detail.

Annasopra

Greedy in complaints 🙄

nolivesmatter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917128#Comment_118917128

What do you think people should do?

Crocodile Booze

Unpleasant behaviour by a pair of immature fools, but not assault. FWIW, I like Leo.

bladespin

It's not very nice but we're not living in a very nice world, I'm sure Leo's had a lot worse said to him in Leinster house, we've gone very soft altogether if we're considering that assault.

RoTelly

BTW the report doesn't suggest it was homophobic abuse.

I'd say politicians get this thrown at them all the time, but rarely if ever mention it.

If you get a chance to ask a politician a hard question then you should do it, should you confront them on the street ... no.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917175#Comment_118917175

1: Not shout at people out their windows?

2: Call it out for what it is.

I saw somewhere else that Leo said he gets abuse of some sort on a weekly basis. Mad that anybody (regardless of political persuasion) would consider a career as a politician, don't know how/why they do it...

conorhal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917035#Comment_118917035

Indeed, there are innumerable threads on this site dedicated to what an absolutely lairy kip Dublin city has become, if only the victim knew someone in a position of power that could address the lack of policing and the spiralling levels of lawlessness that pervade the city!

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917065#Comment_118917065

You seem easily offended. I think people who shout out at people are pretty scummy. Nothing classiest in it. You don't know me nor I you. Not everyone from any class would behave in such a manner. Are you suggesting that?

I used my example to show how juvenile it can be.

Jarhead_Tendler

It can be very intimidating to have people shouting out the window at you. Personally as a disabled person it often happens and I never come away from the situation feeling good. Hopefully Leo has thicker skin than me and it doesn't affect him .

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917099#Comment_118917099

Yep, I was thinking the same. He’s the Tánaiste after all.. and in the city with all that’s going on… ill feeling etc…don’t get me wrong I’ve no time for the guy whatsoever as a politician but it’s a bit loose on his behalf as regards the responsibility of his position to be off without a single Garda…especially in that area…

absolute scumbags though, he was referred to by one of them as a prick.. That’s fairly clear despite the attempted verbal redaction…should just have published the video as was…

I doubt that many ex prime ministers or current deputies around the world are just out jogging without so much as a single police officer or body guard..

animalinside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917152#Comment_118917152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917212#Comment_118917212

Is there another video of someone shouting out car windows?

I heard this man call Leo and call him a prick, clearly he doesn't like the man. As I say I don't approve of it, but I hardly think it's "shocking" and "a vile torrent of abuse" - really?

You say someone he doesn't know - but we all know Varadkar and he affects all our lives. It's not like this was some fat person minding their own business getting made fun of, it's someone who puts themselves out there as representing others and making big decisions on their behalf.

Either create a law making it a specific offence to verbally abuse a politician in public or forget it.

Wanderer2010

That hardly qualifies as verbal assault. Plenty of people walking the streets of Dublin get shouted at by aggressive junkies or just little scumbags with nothing to do with their time, so keep it in context.

Im more worried about how extremely basic and easily pleased those 2 fellows in the car are. They actually think they are genuinely funny plus that its funny to roll down the window and call someone a pr!ck. Imagine being married to or working with that...

ButtersSuki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917013#Comment_118917013

This is a joke, right?

That the Children's Hospital would be built on budget for one.

Leos' time in Health was a disaster that he couldn't run away from fast enough - and considering he's a qualified doctor he would have had more insight into the challenges in the system than most he would be more qualified than almost any other TD at the time and indeed since to lead that Department.

I'm not excusing what happened to him on the Quays, but let's not exaggerate the extent of that "assault", nor pretend Leo is whiter than white and has never failed to deliver things he has promised.

brokenangel

It's is great to see the posters on here defending the people in the car. Says a lot really

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917251#Comment_118917251

Hey, be critical of what I posted not what you read into it.

Its the kind of thing happens every day. I'm not aghast or beside myself.

For me normal decent people don't pass comment on others.

If they shouted he was shite at his job I'd consider that acceptable commentary to a public official but still not something the average person would do.

boardise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917283#Comment_118917283

Well good to see that subsequent Health Ministers have been able to put the system to rights ....

oh no, hang on ....

maestroamado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917013#Comment_118917013

Well for me we're probably not any better off now than we were when the crash came in 2008... there is no hope for young people... see the girl who works for RTE says she can never expect to have a home of her own...

Christ above, a public figure and second-in-command to the most powerful office in the land is called a prick.

There are underpaid and overworked workers up and down the country that encounter much worse on the reg.

You'd swear he'd been accosted in the jacks and given a swirly the way the pearl-clutchers in here are carrying on.

Even Leo himself brushes it off with a polite "piss off, lads."

CruelSummer

Cannot understand how people would dismiss something like this here...

Fine you don't agree with Varadkar, maybe you don't like him or his policies - however that does NOT give you the right to hurl abuse at a citizen of this country or intimidate them either. This is a very slippery slope and let's not forget what happened in the U.K. where a Tory MP was murdered, Sir David Amess. Plenty of people didn't agree with him either but by all accounts he was a good MP who did genuinely care for his constituents.

If people want to protest policy, do so via contacting TD's through proper channels, organise a peaceful protest, organise a social media event, vote for the opposition or independents on local or general elections.

donaghs

Cyclists and runners in Dublin will eventually encounter scum shouting abuse at them from vehicles. It’s quite common, the best reaction is to not look fazed and keep going, as Leo did.

However, getting out for some exercise can be a luxury for hard working people and this sort of abuse can completely ruin any mental benefit from it. But what to do? It’s not really a jailing offence, Garda caution?

jimwallace197

Pair of skangers slag a politician off from their car. In fairness to Varadkar, he handled it well & kept going. But his comments about this being a weekly thing are no doubt in my mind, BS. I doubt many people who have ran around the city centre, havent at least a number of times experienced some nasty comments like this.

But of course, he plays the victimhood & homophobic card just like he did a few weeks ago with Michael Healy Rae. If you put yourself out in public as leader of any country, there are some people that are going to have a go. Thats part of what being the leader of a country nowadays entails. Nothing to do with this nonsense of it being a hate crime or a homophobic attack.

Soon enough people wont be able to look at each other in the street without it being assault or a hate crime. Just ridiculous. How about grow a bit of a backbone, grow up & get on with life.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917146#Comment_118917146

wha?

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917072#Comment_118917072

the problem with your argument is you are a nobody i assume? do you get called a spastic everytime you leave the house? I would imagine leo does

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917103#Comment_118917103

in they eyes of the law you can be injured by words so assault isn't wide of that mark

Fasano

anyone else think Leo is looking a bit chubby?

Or is that more disgusting abuse?

fucking hell, if he finds that an abusive tirade (which I doubt he does), then he is in the wrong job.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917554#Comment_118917554

What’s his job got to do with it?

Can't see the problem here. He's a politician and has chosen to lead a very public life. Perfectly natural that there will be people who are upset over his policies or the influence he has had in power. I'd say the benefits of his position have more than compensated him for any minor problems like this. Bear in mind that this would be a rare kind of thing, otherwise we'd have seen loads to such remarks over the years.

I think many posters here are blowing this out of proportion. He wasn't "assaulted". Some strangers shouted some crap at him. Whooptie do. Was there any risk of violence? Nope. Stop being so damn sensitive. I've heard worse at a rugby match.

Oh, and honestly, I wish Irish people would speak their minds more to our bloody politicians, rather than waiting politely in the wings for an invitation to speak that will never be made.

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917554#Comment_118917554

That's the problem if you haven't worked it out. It's a job.

Do you think someone just doing a job should be open to shouting for a couple of scumbags?

No TD should have to face this...end of the day

People defending this are as bad as the people sitting in the car roaring abuse.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917574#Comment_118917574

People defending this are as bad as the people sitting in the car roaring abuse

Nobody seems to be defending it. I get the feeling that a lot of people are stuck in a world of black/white when it comes to situations like these.

I don't think it's a big deal. That's not defending their behaviour. It's a non-story.