Philip Dwyer
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Philip Dwyer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dwyer in 2020 | |
| Born | 1967 or 1968 (age 58–59) |
| Occupation | Unemployed |
| Known for | Anti-immigration activism |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Ireland First (c. 2023 to 2024) National Party (c. 2016 to 2022) |
| Children | 3 |
Philip Dwyer (born 1967 or 1968)[1] is an Irish far-right anti-immigration activist.[1][2][3] He is a self-styled citizen journalist,[4] and has been a regular participant and speaker at anti-immigration protests across Ireland in 2022-23.[5] He has also campaigned against lockdowns, COVID-19 vaccines, and LGBT "ideology". He is known for confronting politicians and others on the street while filming the encounters using a selfie-stick.[6] He has been frequently described by media sources as a propagator of misinformation.[7][8][9][10]
Dwyer stood as a candidate for the National Party in the 2020 Irish general election where he achieved 508 first-preference votes, 0.8% of the vote.[11] Dwyer formed the "Men of Ireland Trek" in 2020 which went on hiking expeditions in Ireland.[12]
Dwyer faced criticism when he laid a wreath from "the Men of Ireland" at the grave of Ashling Murphy, the Tullamore schoolteacher who was killed in January 2022.[8] He then gave a speech at the graveside, saying Murphy's death had been "used as a weapon" by the government, media and NGOs to "distort the truth" about her killing.[8] Dwyer announced he had been expelled from the National Party due to his involvement in the stunt.[13][14] His departure was described in the Irish Times as part of "an internal quarrel".[14][2] The Phoenix reported that Dwyer was seen as a rival to Justin Barrett's leadership of the party, having "built up a vibrant following with his live-streaming and Men of Ireland hikes". It was reported that Barrett expelled Dwyer at a party meeting in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, in February 2022. This led to "rancour" and "some resignations".[15]
Dwyer was a participant in anti-immigration protests at East Wall, Dublin in winter 2022, where he filmed live streams warning against the "invasion of Ireland".[8][16] Dwyer regularly shares reports of alleged incidents involving migrants, or the persecution of protestors, often without any evidence.[17]
Dwyer later joined Ireland First;[18] he first met its leader Derek Blighe on a hike on Djouce Mountain in County Wicklow, where Blighe impressed him by getting to the summit even though he was on crutches.[12]
Attention was drawn by TheJournal.ie to Dwyer's profits generated from his activism when Blighe promoted his Telegram and YouTube channel at the anti-immigrant protests in Finglas. He makes money from PayPal, YouTube superchat and he has a Subscribestar page offering "exclusive digital content" for a monthly fee.[17]
In March 2023, Dwyer was filmed arguing with a Muslim taxi driver and accusing the man of "hating Ireland".[13]
In October 2023, Dwyer was involved in a confrontation during a protest in Clondalkin with People Before Profit activist Darragh Adelaide, who is a black Irish citizen. Dwyer asked Adelaide to participate in an interview, and Adelaide responded in fluent Irish. Dwyer was unable to respond in turn, instead asking if he was "sent by an NGO". The incident, captured on video, later went viral online.[19]
Dwyer spread a false rumour on 23 November that a girl who had been stabbed prior to the Dublin riot earlier that day had died.[20] He went to the Spire and livestreamed the riots on Twitter, making xenophobic comments.[20]
Dwyer was the Ireland First candidate for the Dublin constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.[21] He was also a candidate in the Tallaght Central LEA in the 2024 South Dublin County Council election.[22] He was not elected in either case,[22][23] and was escorted out of the election count after reportedly making threatening remarks to People Before Profit members.[24]
Dwyer contested the 2024 Irish general election in the Wicklow constituency as an independent candidate.[25] He was eliminated on the second count, having received 437 first preference votes (0.8%) out of a valid poll of 57,071.[26] Following his failure to be elected, Dwyer made claims of electoral fraud.[27][28]
Political views
Dwyer has reportedly shared more than a dozen antisemitic posts on Telegram, some claiming that Jews control the Western world, that immigration is a Jewish plot, and that "Judaism at it’s [sic] core is about the Genocide of non-Jews". TheJournal.ie said that his X account does not publish such antisemitic content but has promoted the unbanning of white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who holds antisemitic views.[29]
In a February 2023 post about Holocaust denier David Irving, Dwyer questioned if Adolf Hitler was "the bad guy", saying "but Hollywood told me Hitler was the bad guy? Where [sic] they lying to us?"[30]