ANTI AUSTERITY ALLIANCE TD Paul Murphy appeared on the Late Late Show last night.
His interview with Ryan Tubridy got a massive reaction online, and it’s still being talked about this morning:
The AAA TD was on to talk about his recent political activity, and the Irish Water protests. But first, he told Tubridy about his personal life.
He said that while growing up, his house wasn’t a political one, and though there were discussions, they weren’t linked to any party.
He said of the death of his father when he was 11: “It’s just that creates an environment in the house [where] you have one parent and you understand there is pressure on one parent alone”.
What drew him towards socialism and the Socialist Party? “I would have become political quite young, as a teenager,” he said, pointing to protests against the IMF and globalisation as helping to shape his political outlook.
He said he felt that he could do things to make “our society, our country, our world”, a better and less unjust place.
Jobstown and Joan
Tubridy then turned to the Jobstown protest in November, when Tánaiste Joan Burton was trapped in her car for two hours. “Was that a mistake, to do what happened to the Tánaiste that day?” Tubridy asked.
“I don’t think it was a mistake for me, as a public representative elected on the basis of opposing the water charges, to join in on that protest,” said Murphy.
He said that if he or AAA was organising the “messy” protest, it would have been different. He said he wouldn’t use the word ‘ugly’, but afterwards there were ‘ugly scenes’.
“Did I not just see you with a bullhorn saying ‘shall we release [Joan Burton] or not’?” Tubridy asked.
Murphy said the context behind this quote has been explained, claiming that gardaí had asked him to make an appeal to the crowd about the situation.
He said doesn’t think what happened was a mistake.
A ‘thrill’ from being arrested?
Murphy described his subsequent arrest as a “shocking experience”.
Asked if he got a “thrill” from being arrested because of the attention it brings, Murphy said he has “no personal interest in media coverage”.
“It’s all a platform to get ideas across,” he said.
When the subject of the ‘midget parasite’ protest against President Michael D Higgins was brought up, Murphy questioned its inclusion, saying “it’s nothing to do with me” and that he has repeatedly condemned the protest.
Some supported Tubridy’s approach:
But others questioned the interview style:
Some felt that the interview would help the anti-water charge protests:
After the interview was aired, Murphy only had this to say:
Watch the full interview on the RTE Player.
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