Video emerges showing a masked man attacking Clonmel’s Pride Parade

In the ugly incident that was caught on camera on Saturday, the man, dressed all-in black and with a red scarf wrapped around his face, can be seen angler berating he marches as he storm up and down.

He shouts several expletives at them before grabbing a flags being carried by one of the marchers, before throwing it to the ground. The then makes his way back onto the pavement while supporter blow whistles. Gardaí said they are investigating all the circumstances, “including any hate related motivation” of an incident that occurred at Gladstone Street in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, at approximately 12:00pm on Saturday, August 27.

“No arrests have been made at this stage of this ongoing investigation which is being conducted at Clonmel Garda Station,” gardai said.

The video was recorded by Ireland Against Fascism and retweeted by gay activist Rory O'Neill aka Panti Bliss.

Co-chair of Ireland Pride Network and chairman of Cork LGBT+ Pride Festival Clive Davis told The Examiner: “We are shocked and saddened by the attempt to disrupt Clonmel’s very first Pride parade by an angry and aggressive coward, who attempted to hide his identity behind a mask. Such thuggery has no place in our society."

The incident follows a number of homophobic attacks, including a serious assault on a young man travelling home on a bus in Dublin during which he was headbutted.