Politicians and senior Gardaí will meet in Cork amid growing protests against LGBTQ+ reading material which forced the closure of Cork libraries last weekend, reports Independent.
Cork City Council ordered the closure of the Grand Parade library on Saturday amid concerns that protests in the streets could affect both staff and customers.
There is an ongoing protest campaign by ultra-conservative and far-right groups that oppose the availability of some reading material in libraries.
They argued that it was immoral and unconstitutional to provide highly sexualized reading material to underage readers.
Protesters claimed that the material was pornographic and protests would continue until it was removed, reports Independent.
Library workers have been harassed, intimidated, filmed without their consent and even had books torn apart in front of them as part of the protest campaign that has been going on for weeks.
Trade unions, civil rights organizations and left-wing groups opposed it.
Now Cork Mayor Councilor Kieran McCarthy will meet with senior gardaí this week to defuse tensions over the matter, reports Independent.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has already hit at the protests – warning that lessons from the past regarding censorship and intolerance should be remembered.
Protesters at an anti-LGBTQ+ rally on Saturday placed a banner above the library entrance that read: “There are only two genders: male and female,” reports The Mirror.
It was installed without permission and taken down later that day.
Councilor McCarthy said it was unacceptable that an important facility like Cork Library was forced to close due to “harassment by a very small minority”, reports Independent.
“I will be meeting with senior gardaí this week calling for a stop to such horrific harassment,” reports Independent.
Social media postings have targeted journalists who covered the protest.
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