Mr Varadkar insists he will not be intimidated
Mr Varadkar was targeted as he walked along Parnell Street in central Dublin on Monday afternoon.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he has contacted gardai after he was angrily confronted by two men as he walked in central Dublin.
Video footage of the incident on Parnell Street in the city was posted by a far-right activist on X, formerly Twitter, and has now been viewed more than 27,000 times – and the former Fine Gael leader says he won’t be intimidated.
Mr Varadkar told us: “Thankfully it is a rare occurrence. I took videos and have provided them to the gardaí.
“I’ll not be intimidated or told by anyone where I cannot walk in my own city, least of all Parnell St, the street on which I was born.”
The incident happened on Monday afternoon and the footage was posted online by far-right activist Paul Nolan.
Nolan, 36, of Mount Eagle Square, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, was last week sentenced to seven months in prison when he became the first person in Ireland to be jailed for online posts which risked identifying asylum seekers – but appealed and was released on bail. He has 47 previous convictions.
The video he posted lasts just over 90 seconds – and in it one of the men repeatedly accuses Mr Varadkar of being a traitor.
It starts with the men cycling towards Mr Varadkar, who is wearing earphones as he walks along the street.
One man shouts: “You f***ing sell-out little traitor.”
Leo Varadkar accosted in Dublin city
He then shouts: “Look at this fella walking around the streets, dirty traitor you.
“You are a traitor, Leo Varadkar, you traitor you.”
Mr Varadkar walks on and ignores the two men, but they pursue him.
The first man then shouts: “You shouldn’t be walking these streets, Leo…Look at him, you’re a traitor.”
The second man also starts shouting at Mr Varadkar, who replies: “Enjoy your day, gentlemen.” He then takes out his own phone and starts filming them.
The first man then shouts: “You’re a traitor, pushing Covid vaccines on people, you are a traitor.
Leo Varadkar took his phone out and began filming the men who confronted him
“If there were Irish people around, I’d tell them all you were here, but there’s not because you invited them all into the country.
“You are a traitor, Leo. Leo Varadkar, you traitor. Pushing lockdowns and vaccines – what about all the kids that were killed?
“What about all the kids missing in State care when you and Roderic (O’Gorman) were in office?”
Then adds: “You shouldn’t be allowed walk the streets…you should be locked up, you traitor.”
The video then ends with the second man shouting: “Leo, the Traitor.”
We have asked the Garda press office for comment.
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