‘They didn’t know he was serious so they followed him and he had arrived here, intending to attack me or kill me’
Malachy Steenson, who is running in the local and European elections as an independent candidate, says he was lucky to escape as gardai had “responded immediately”.
In a statement to the Sunday World, a garda spokesman said they arrested a man as part of a public order incident.
In a video posted on ‘X’ Mr Steenson can be seen outside his constituency office on North Strand Road, Dublin where he says the man was arrested after threatening him.
“Well today, we saw reports about politicians being intimidated and some of them giving out about shouting, words being said to them, and they’re all so upset,” he begins the video.
“This evening, while we were out canvassing in East Wall, approximately 20 minutes ago, a guy arrived at my office, banging down the door, threatening a young nephew (and) threatening to kill me.
Mr Steenson claims gardai arrested the man outside his constituency office
“They had been followed here, they had been stopped earlier by gardai and he said he was on his way to kill me.
“They didn’t know he was serious so they followed him and he had arrived here, intending to attack me or kill me.
“Thankfully, the gardai responded immediately and now a man is in custody.”
Referring to the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico yesterday. Mr Stenson added: “These are the threats that we face in this country for standing up for our people, just like the Prime Minister in Slovakia was shot today because he opposed the European Union agenda.
“We are going to pay a heavy price in this country for what’s happening. This is the beginning. You have a chance to change it on June 7.”
Gardai said they had no reports of threats being made but there was a public order arrest in North Strand area.
“Gardaí in Mountjoy attended an incident of public order that occurred on Wednesday, May 15, on Leinster Avenue, North Strand, Dublin 3,” gardai said.
“One man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested in relation to the incident.
“He has since been charged and is due to appear before a sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice at a later date.”
Mr Steenson is a solicitor and former election candidate for the Worker’s Party, who has been involved in numerous anti-asylum seeker protests but also defended a demonstration outside Leinster House last September that included a mock gallows and portraits of politicians.
There had been widespread condemnation after protesters shouted “traitors” and obscenities at staff and politicians attempting to enter and exit Leinster House.
Politicians were blocked from leaving the parliamentary precinct via the Merrion Street entrance while Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae was harassed as he was given a garda escort down Kildare Street. A new intern in his office had her phone stolen.
However, Mr Steenson who was one of the speakers at the controversial protest later described it as a “relatively minor skirmish”.
“For Healy-Rae to be talking about people roaring and shouting. I’ve heard far worse things at protests by the left and the NGOs.”
He added: “I have been at hundreds of protests over the years and that was no more volatile and no more hostile than any other one. I have been at protests the left have organised over the years where they’ve had guillotines. The Healy-Rae thing was wrong but gardaí have to take responsibility for what happened.”
Mr Steenson had called on people to attend the event in a video posted on the Irish Inquiry Telegram that was captioned: “See you all at Gangster House tomorrow”.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said that ‘Gangster House’ was not terminology he would use but defended the right of protesters to shout obscenities and abuse at people coming in and out of Leinster House.
“I’ve no problem with the rhetoric being used; I’ve heard far worse at rallies against us. If gallows are wrong then we should shut down the theatres – these are theatrical props, there is no one suggesting these would actually be used,” he said.
“I think those incidents are counter-productive but the fact is this would not have got any coverage otherwise.”
He described it as a “relatively minor skirmish” and “non-event in the overall scheme of things”.
Steenson is running in the four seater Dublin European Parliament constituency and as a candidate for the North inner city ward in the elections for Dublin City Council.
The North inner city ward takes in East Wall where Steenson attended a protest in November 2022 against asylum seekers being housed in a former ESB building.
Steenson joined Hermann Kelly who previously worked for former United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage as members of the crowd shouted “get them f***ing out” at the rally.
Speakers also spent a significant amount of time talking about other issues than the East Wall.
Steenson, who was a close friend of murdered Real IRA gang boss Alan Ryan, told the crowd he was involved in a culture war.
“We’ve been accused in some media today of being involved in a culture war. We are involved in a culture war,” he told the crowd before talking about The Late Late Toy Show.
He also criticised a decision to put a tampon machine in the male toilets of the Dáil.
“The political class are so consumed by themselves. Look at what they did this week. They put a machine for tampons in the men’s toilets in the Dáil on the basis some men have periods. Are there any men here who have periods?”
He went on to criticise Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald as the crowd shouted “traitor” and booed. He attacked other political parties, including Labour and the Social Democrats, and including their local Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon.
“I don’t need to say anything about him. I wouldn’t fancy him if he was walking through here,” he said of Mr Gannon.
