CONOR McGregor’s comments are reportedly being assessed by Gardai as part of an inquiry into online hate speech in the wake of the Dublin riots.
The UFC fighter was last week accused of “whipping up” anger online about immigration in the lead-up to riots that rocked Dublin last Thursday night.
Conor McGregor’s social media posts are being assessed by GardaiGetty Images – Getty
The Dubliner warned that if Ireland’s leaders wouldn’t drive “change”, “I will”.
McGregor, 35, was slammed after an online rant last Thursday in which he warned of “grave danger in Ireland”.
McGregor was last week warned that he and others have to “account for their words”, while online followers condemned his comments, blasting them as “bizarre”.
And now the social media posts are reportedly being investigated by gardai as part of an online hate speech probe.
The UFC star, who has 10 million followers on X, had been sharing anti-immigrant sentiments online and in the days before the riot, which saw thugs set vehicles alight, loot businesses and gardai suffer assaults.
And in the wake of the violence breaking out in Dublin on Thursday, McGregor tweeted: “You reap what you sow.”
In response to a video of a journalist at the scene of the shocking school stabbing injuring a woman and three children that sparked the riots, McGregor said people were “not backing down”.
Labour TD Aodhan O’Riordain told the Irish Sun that McGregor and others have to “account for their words” as he accused the UFC fighter of “whipping up” anger online.
Speaking at the wreckage on O’Connell Street on Friday after the riots, Deputy O’Riordain said: “When you have migrants being burnt out of their tents around the corner from Leinster House. When you have library protests.
“When you have what happened on the opening day of the Dail a couple of weeks ago.
“You have Oireachtas members, and I have to say this, whipping this up.
“You have shock jock people online whipping it up and you have online platforms purporting to be mainstream media outlets whipping it up, Conor McGregor whipping it up – it doesn’t help.
“They all have to – I think – account for their actions and for their words because this was coming and I think possibly there has been maybe a little bit of a lack of political leadership in this space to properly account for what is happening in the country and to provide a narrative which doesn’t lead to this sort of behaviour.”
Tanaiste Micheal Martin was also asked about McGregor’s “you reap what you sow” comment and the Fianna Fail leader labelled it as “disgraceful”.
He said: “There have been many comments I’ve watched online of that type which are absolutely disgraceful.
“We have a parliamentary democracy. We value that.
“The Irish people do as well and isolated voices like that and voices that are essentially inciting hate and to some extent incitement, I think is unacceptable.”
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