Terrifying video sees trailblazing LGBT+ activist called ‘paedo scum’ and brutally beaten by far-right anti-mask protesters
Izzy Kamikaze was left beaten and bloodied after she was assaulted at a far-right, anti-mask protest in Dublin (Twitter)
A trailblazing LGBT+ activist was left beaten and bloodied after she stood up to far-right activists at an anti-face mask protest in Dublin.
Izzy Kamikaze, a queer activist who has spent decades fighting for LGBT+ rights in Ireland, was brutally assaulted by an anti-face mask demonstrator in Dublin on Saturday (12 September).
The incident occurred at a far-right anti-face mask protest in Dublin on Saturday, which was one of two such protests to take place in the Irish capital city that day, according to The Irish Times.
Kamikaze was one of several activists who staged a counter protest outside Leinster House, Dublin, to voice opposition to the group’s conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the demonstration quickly turned violent when anti-face mask protesters targeted Kamikaze.
Trailblazing LGBT+ activist Izzy Kamikaze was covered in blood after a far right protester hit her with a wooden pole.
The disturbing incident was captured in video footage recorded by a counter protester. In the video, a group of men can be seen approaching Kamikaze outside Leinster House, with one carrying a long wooden pole with an Irish flag wrapped around it.
The group can then be seen charging at Kamikaze and other counter protesters. The video shows Kamikaze falling to the ground, with later photos showing the activist covered in blood.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Kamikaze said she saw “a wall” of protesters approaching her at the demonstration.
“I was looking around for a knife. I folded my arms to show I wasn’t a threat,” she said.
After a protester pushed Kamikaze’s friend, she looked slightly to the left to make sure they were safe. When she looked to her side, she was hit with the wooden pole.
This is the entire 2 minutes of the incident at the Dáil, I originally cut out the 10 seconds where there was no picture when I had ran to Izzy soon as I saw her drop. So yes, she was on the ground for a spell & yes her friends were concerned. Very concerned. pic.twitter.com/Kxf53XSTnc
— veronica 🐦 (@vmax_14) September 13, 2020
“I didn’t see who hit me. I turned slightly and then I was on the ground,” she said.
The LGBT+ activist was treated in hospital for her injuries.
Irish police faced backlash after claiming no major incidents occurred at the protest.
Police in Ireland faced backlash after they initially claimed that no arrests or major incidents had occurred at the demonstration – despite the fact that there was a police presence at the protest.
In a revised statement released Sunday, it was confirmed that police “had to intervene between opposing groups of demonstrators”. They confirmed that nobody had been arrested and claimed that Kamikaze had yet to make a formal complaint about the incident.
The activist, who was discharged from hospital on Sunday following an overnight stay, said she would be making a complaint about the incident on Monday.
She also said she would be complaining to An Garda Síochána about the force’s policing of the protest.
In other video footage shared to social media, anti-mask protesters can be heard chanting “paedo scum” at Kamikaze and other activists.
The same chants were used at a homophobic, far-right protest against the appointment of gay man Roderic O’Gorman as minister for children in July.
