AS THE 22 May date for the same-sex marriage referendum gets closer the campaign from both sides is intensifying.
Controversy has arisen from incidents where posters for the No campaign have been taken down or defaced around Dublin.
Over the past two weeks since the posters were erected a number of incidents have come to attention on social media and in the news.
In one of the most recent incidents, a video was uploaded to YouTube showing two masked people in a room with several No campaign posters.
The two say that they were anarchists who have “embarked on a campaign to tear down every last No poster in [Dublin] city”. They describe the No campaign posters as ‘homophobic propaganda’, and say that are ‘just one group of many’ who are competing to see who can take down the most No posters.
A number of posters in the Dublin City Centre area have been defaced with the word ‘No’ sprayed over and the word ‘Yes’ written over it in pink marker.
Last week, Irish Times journalist Conor Pope filmed two individuals pulling down posters from lamp posts on Gardiner Street in Dublin city centre in a video that went viral and provoked intense discussion on social media.
Meanwhile, one reporter for TheJournal.ie noted that No posters were erected in the Dublin suburb of Chapelizod in recent days, but removed shortly afterwards.
No reports to gardaí
In response to TheJournal.ie, the Mothers and Fathers Matter group, which has erected a large number of posters, said that they are aware of defacements and posters being pulled down but that they have not brought it to the Garda Siochána yet.
A spokesperson for the group also said that they had become aware of a growing number of incidents around the country.
Gardaí have not received reports from any citizens in relation to the defacement or tearing down of the posters.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Brian Sheehan, a spokesperson for the Yes Equality campaign, criticised supporters who take down posters for the opposing side.
It is an offence to take down any poster, we unreservedly condemn any such act. Members of the public who witness the removal of posters should report it to their local Garda station.
“Our campaign is focused on what this referendum is about, civil marriage equality. Yes Equality wants to reach out to every citizen and to engage them in conversation about why the referendum is important. Open and honest dialogue is at the heart of what we do,” he went on.
The ‘Yes Equality’ campaign has not put up any posters of its own. Posters in support of the Yes campaign have been erected by all the major political parties.
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