Leo Varadkar Assaulted verbally while out jogging

Ham_Sandwich · 12-04-2022 3:49pm #1

https://www.independent.ie/videos/shocking-video-of-tanaiste-of-leo-varadkar-being-abused-while-out-for-a-run-uploaded-to-social-media-41543797.html

Personally think this is disgusting, the idea that people think it's ok to accost politicians in public is dangerous, if you have issue with a member of the Dail take it up through the proper channels or even better, at the ballot box.

Multipass · 12-04-2022 3:53pm

Language is important - he was not ‘assaulted’ in any way, that’s a ridiculous way to describe what happened. Anyone living in a city will have had similar experiences.

thefallingman · 12-04-2022 3:54pm

Assaulted 😂

Brucie Bonus · 12-04-2022 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916924#Comment_118916924

Yep, sadly we get scummers shouting random abuse. I actually heard some lad shout 'look at your man with the hair' because someone had a pony tail.

o1s1n · 12-04-2022 4:01pm

The only 'shocking' thing in that video is the level of traffic on the quays.

Ham_Sandwich · 12-04-2022 4:04pm

He was assaulted verbally, which is still assault, and the possible homophobic nature of the assault makes it even more troubling, not surprised at some people's willingness to dismiss it out of hand.

o1s1n · 12-04-2022 4:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916976#Comment_118916976

What was homophobic about it?

Allinall · 12-04-2022 4:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917002#Comment_118917002

What did he promise that hasn't been delivered?

Ash.J.Williams · 12-04-2022 4:12pm

there's people making little of it here, but i'd imagine life is hell for politicians in public, for those of you earning the same as a politician would you add that abuse into your package and think it's ok?

a tanaiste going for a jog in the city says more about him than it does about the two scrotes in the van thinking they're hilarious

McDermotX · 12-04-2022 4:15pm

In other news, plenty of people out doing jogging, walking etc get verbally "assaulted" every day

Well, its not news really......and either is this

As you were

Ash.J.Williams · 12-04-2022 4:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917002#Comment_118917002

i don't think you personally would get a job that affects the whole population, so you can't really empathise here

riffmongous · 12-04-2022 4:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916986#Comment_118916986

Kinda sounded like he called him a 'puff'.. not sure though

Ash.J.Williams · 12-04-2022 4:16pm

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

free everything for scrotes

plodder · 12-04-2022 4:17pm

Legally, there's no such thing as a "verbal assault". As for it being a torrent of abuse, I could make out two profanities in total.

Compared to what happened to that chap the other night on Dame Street, this is pretty tame.

Allinall · 12-04-2022 4:17pm

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

Who else got verbally assaulted while out jogging today?

FrancieBrady · 12-04-2022 4:20pm

Fairly awful. He really should go to the Gardai with that, shouldn't be too hard to identify the car at least.

animalinside · 12-04-2022 4:20pm

"scummer" a bit over the top. I thought it was going to be some dark, intimidating tirade when it was actually light-hearted and we heard laughter. I don't think it was appropriate but you don't know if they have personal reason to feel aggrieved. By calling them a "scummer" what you're actually doing is outing yourself as a classist individual who wants nothing more than to feel smug and look down on others.

"vile torrent of abuse" my ass.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118916957#Comment_118916957

Oh wow, he actually said look at the man with the hair! What a terrible, offensive thing, let's call the police and have him arrested!

foxsake · 12-04-2022 4:21pm

it was hardly life threatening to be called names.

The right minded people get very protective of Leo cos he ticks a few boxes that make him a protected species.

The same pearl-clutchers wouldn't give it a moments thought if it was a Healy-Rae (or even Micheal Martin ) being slagged.

funny that.

RoTelly · 12-04-2022 4:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917044#Comment_118917044

Prick was what it sound like to me.

Your a Prick ?

Your a **** wanker ?

WrenBoy · 12-04-2022 4:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917051#Comment_118917051

I got called a "spastic" while out for a run last weekend because some dope couldn't control his dog. I told him where to go and carried on, got home just before the rain started. Would I call it "assault" ? No. Just a part of life really.

joseywhales · 12-04-2022 4:23pm

One thing I always loved about Ireland is that politicians are generally accessible and live semi normal lives. Incidents like this will only lead to some kind of us system where politicians have security details and are never out in public alone. No need for the abuse, it achieves nothing.

Annasopra · 12-04-2022 4:23pm

plodder · 12-04-2022 4:24pm

If the bleeped out word was homophobic, you can be sure the Independent would have mentioned that.

riffmongous · 12-04-2022 4:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917070#Comment_118917070

Hm yeah could be prick alright

12-04-2022 4:25pm

He should have a security detail at the least if he's going to jog the quays in 2022.

Times have changed after the last 2 years, definitely more extreme views out there.

Not to mind it's pretty rough in parts of the city centre.

nolivesmatter · 12-04-2022 4:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917044#Comment_118917044

You're embellishing.

Anyway, the word "assault" means practically nothing when you expand it's scope to this.

Brussels Sprout · 12-04-2022 4:26pm

One of the nice things about Ireland is that people with a bit of fame can generally go about their business without getting personal abuse. There have been a few instances in recent times* where that has not been the case and I think that that is a shame.

*Varadkar getting the milkshake thrown at him and Pat Kenny being aggressively questioned by some guy while recording on his phone also springs to mind

blanch152 · 12-04-2022 4:30pm

Not surprised by what happened.

Not surprised by the dismissal of it on here.

Both are very sadly par for the course.

WrenBoy · 12-04-2022 4:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118917085#Comment_118917085

Them fellas are being pricks for sure but what part was homophobic ? I honestly didn't hear any of that, sounded like pr*** and fu**er to me.

animalinside · 12-04-2022 4:34pm

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

It's the boy who called wolf scenario. People getting on their high horse, being greedy and over the top in their complaints, and it ends up where someone being said to have committed assault or a sex offender may have done nothing at all.

I love also how it's the people who delivered the abuse are the ones who recorded and released it.

seamus · 12-04-2022 4:35pm

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

Anyone who goes around shouting out car windows at people they don't know, is a scummer. We all know the type. It's not "harmless fun", only a certain type of gobsh1te does it.

Whether it's shouting out the window at a cyclist, wolf-whistling at some hot thing or shouting abuse at a politician, it's always the same kind of sh1t-for-brains that does it and thinks they're a comedian.

Notmything · 12-04-2022 4:36pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:39pm

Greedy in complaints 🙄

nolivesmatter · 12-04-2022 4:41pm

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

What do you think people should do?

Crocodile Booze · 12-04-2022 4:43pm

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

bladespin · 12-04-2022 4:43pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:44pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:45pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:48pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:49pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:52pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:53pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:54pm

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 · 12-04-2022 4:57pm

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 · 12-04-2022 5:01pm

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 · 12-04-2022 5:03pm

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

Brucie Bonus · 12-04-2022 5:07pm

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 · 12-04-2022 5:10pm

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 · 12-04-2022 5:11pm

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...

12-04-2022 5:31pm

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 · 12-04-2022 5:43pm

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.

Leo Varadkar Assaulted verbally while out jogging

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