BREAKING: Heated scenes in Limerick as Enoch Burke disrupts Catherine Connolly’s campaign stop
Presidential frontrunner in city on final Saturday before polling day
PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Catherine Connolly was confronted this Saturday in Limerick by Enoch Burke who told the Independent candidate he was “a victim because of your gender ideology”.
The Mayo man confronted Ms Connolly under a statue of the Oscar-nominated Limerick actor Richard Harris while she was canvassing on Bedford Row in the city at lunchtime.
Pointing his finger at Ms Connolly while he shouted at her above the noise of surrounding groups of people, Mr Burke repeated references to gender ideology, saying “you can’t say that Catherine”.
Ms Connolly nodded at times saying “I’ve heard you” .
According to the Limerick Leader / Limerick Live, individuals positioned themselves between the pair before Mr Burke was directed away as he said “we need our religious beliefs in this country. We need our religious freedoms”.
Those supporting Ms Connolly gave a round of applause to the Galway woman after Mr Burke had been directed away. A large crowd had gathered on Bedford Row with Palestinian flags.
Ms Connolly said she had “no difficulty listening to anyone.”
“To listen with dignity and respect,” she said as she was constantly heckled by one woman in the crowd who made references to Ms Connolly’s international views and to Mr Burke.
Mr Burke has spent more than 500 days in prison for contempt of court having repeatedly turned up at a school in Co Westmeath after being ordered to stay away.
He has claimed he has been denied his religious rights, which includes his belief in two genders, male and female.
He has been opposed to the extension of transgender rights, following a direction by the school to call a former student by a different pronoun.
A recent poll has shown Catherine Connolly is significantly ahead of Heather Humphreys in the race for the Áras, polling for which takes place this Friday.