'Many of the accounts attacking me were not anonymous trolls': Cork local election candidate on his campaign trail experience 

The local elections are now a distant memory but as politicians hit the campaign trails for the upcoming general election, the abuse representatives face is a talking point again.

This week, established politician and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman told PA of his concerns.

“I’ve had abuse shouted at me on four of my canvasses in the last week alone, so it had died down after the local elections, it is ramping up again now, it is concerning,” he said.

But what of immigrant candidates?

“What struck me the most was that many of the accounts attacking me were not anonymous trolls: They were genuine accounts with real names, businesses, and family photos,” local election Sinn Féin candidate for the Cobh electoral area, Mehdi Özçınar, said of the abuse directed toward him online as he stood in the 2024 local election.

Mr Özçınar polled 620 first-preference votes but was not elected on that occasion.

To better understand the level of vitriol he experienced online during the local election, I went to Cobh to meet with Mr Özçınar and asked him about what he encountered on the election trail and if it has put him off politics in Ireland or emboldened him to continue.

The local elections are behind us, but Irish politics continues to generate new tensions, especially around the issue of immigration, reflecting similar political developments worldwide. How was the election period for you, and what challenges did you face in the East Cork region as a candidate?

Regarding my campaign, overall, it was a very positive experience. Most of the interactions I had were good and encouraging. However, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for social media, particularly Facebook, where I faced a significant amount of attacks. To be honest, I’ve been involved in politics for many years, having been active in Turkey and Italy, so I anticipated some level of hostility. But what struck me the most was that many of the accounts attacking me were not anonymous trolls: They were genuine accounts with real names, businesses, and family photos. Some of the hate messages were direct and very personal.

Of course, some criticised us or even raised their voices, but their arguments were sincere, and their frustrations were more with political parties than anything personal.

Sadly, our Midleton candidate, Edith Adams, faced even worse attacks... Thankfully, the people I spoke to on the doorsteps were much kinder.

You mentioned being subjected to serious attacks, especially on social media. It seems racism was a factor. How did social media, especially in its role in amplifying racist sentiments, affect you during the campaign?

Unfortunately, social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, has made the immigration crisis worse. Some racist individuals even went as far as creating a video about me and my family, which circulated on Twitter [now known as X]. On Facebook, they shared my photos across their pages, urging people not to vote for me.

Twitter, in particular, gave these people a platform, without fact-checking or filtering. This, of course, had a negative impact on me. It allowed them to target non-native candidates like myself. I fully support free expression, as long as it doesn’t incite violence. But as you can see, some of these racists aim to create chaos in the country.

Given the situation on social media, do you feel you competed on equal terms with the other candidates?

Absolutely not. They didn’t face even 10% of the abuse we received. Most of the online hate was directed at Sinn Féin and its candidates.

I found myself constantly deleting comments, because I didn’t want my family, especially my children, to see them.

As racism rises globally, including in Ireland, what impact is this having at the local level? What concerns are you hearing from people of migrant backgrounds, such as the African, Kurdish, and Palestinian communities?

Having lived in different European countries, I can say that the level of racism in Ireland is quite low.

However, the noise around it is growing.

The issue is that there’s genuine concern about immigration. Most people who are upset or frustrated with the Government over this issue are ordinary people. They’re not necessarily racist, but they want answers and actions.

Unfortunately, the Government has been arrogant in its communication, ignoring these concerns. In doing so, they’ve lost the trust of these people.

It’s not fair to label everyone who has concerns about immigration as racist.

Many of these individuals grew up with Irish traditions, so it’s natural for them to have questions. If you don’t address those concerns sincerely, you lose them.

I’d also like to point out that many of the hate messages I received came from the UK.

Foreign nationals in Ireland are now afraid for their future and their children’s future. The Government isn’t doing enough to explain immigration policies or address racist attacks.

Given the current political climate, how do you think people with migrant backgrounds can participate in Irish politics? It seems risky and frightening.

It is definitely risky and discouraging, but I still encourage non-natives to get involved in politics. They don’t necessarily have to run as candidates, but they can contribute to this country in various ways.

I’m grateful to be part of Sinn Féin, which has always been supportive of me.

After discussing these negative issues, what message would you like to send to the people of East Cork?

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who voted for me, as well as those who didn’t.

As an activist, it’s my duty to earn the trust of the community and to repay every single vote through community work. East Cork is lacking many opportunities, and a place like Cobh deserves much more than it currently has. I promise to be more involved in the community and to give back to my country through good deeds.

We have a lot of work ahead of us as activists and politicians, but with the support and understanding of the people, we can achieve great things. Cork and Ireland deserve better.