'It's politically inspired. I'm sick of it': Mary Lou McDonald says death ...

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she is determined not to let a death threat deter her from pursuing her political ambitions.

Gardaí are investigating an online threat made against the Dublin Central TD. A man wearing a balaclava this week said he would shoot and kill Ms McDonald in a post on TikTok. The man, who also threatened Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, has been identified and the video has been removed from the social media platform.

Speaking on Thursday, Ms McDonald said the experience had been “very frightening” but she was thankful for public support and was now “calling out” threats and vilification on social media.

“I’ve had a year of it, of being trashed and vilified. It’s politically inspired. I’m sick of it,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.

Ms McDonald criticised social media platforms for allowing such content to go unchecked while the accounts of democratically elected people were blocked from displaying political content.

“There’s material in circulation, not just on TikTok, but other social media platforms and I scratch my head and wonder how, in the name of God, any platform that’s moderated in any way, becomes a vector for the level of hate and at the level of misinformation, the level of viciousness.”

The Sinn Féin leader said being challenged and criticised was part of the job, but there had been a particularly vicious focus on her and her party in the last year. She said there was clear attempt to “alienate sentiment, particularly in working class areas, to brand me as a traitor, to brand Sinn Féin as a traitor”.

She added: “But this particular incident brought it then to another level. And as far as I’m concerned, every line has now been crossed. Once there is a direct threat made openly, brazenly broadcast on social media that a person will shoot you, that they will take your life, and that they feel comfortable saying that, broadcasting it, announcing it to the world. Clearly, that puts you in the in the way of greater danger. And I find that frightening.”

Asked about her family’s response to the threat, Ms McDonald said they were angry.

The incident would “absolutely not” make her think of stepping back from politics, Ms McDonald added.

“If anything, it makes me all the more determined to be part of facing this toxic dynamic down with others ... We cannot allow the toxic legacy of hate to win.”

TikTok yesterday admitted that it made a mistake in not removing a video of a user who made death threats on its platform against Ms McDonald and Mr Harris. The video and the account have both been taken down by TikTok after several people flagged it.

In reply to queries, An Garda Síochána said it was “aware of footage posted to social media” on Tuesday. “An Garda Síochána is investigating this matter. No further information is available at this time.”

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