THE LORD Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu, has hit back after she was subject to racist harassment on social media.
Ms Chu, who is of Chinese heritage, was elected to position of Lord Mayor following the Irish 2020 general election.
The Green Party chairperson, who was born in Ireland to Hong Kong parents, has been subject to harassment from racists and far-right activists in the past, including by National Party leader Justin Barrett.
In September 2019, Mr Barrett appeared to claim that he would strip Ms Chu of her Irish citizenship if his party got into power, stating in a since-deleted video: "She is an Irish citizen, I accept that, that is the law until we get the law in our own hands."
This week, a Twitter account alleged to belong to Justin Barrett's wife, Rebecca Barrett, replied to a Tweet from Ms Chu where she said she was up late watching the US Election results.
The Twitter account, @RebBarrettNP, replied: "Justin and I are still up too, Hazel. And we're getting hungry.
"Since you're up anyway, we'll have a sweet and sour chicken, a szechuan beef and two fried rice please. No bat."
Ms Chu replied to the since-deleted Tweet, writing: "I'd love to Rebecca but I called my mam to put your order in and sadly she said we don't serve racists or trolls.
"It's nice you like our cooking so do come back again to try and order when you've learned some manners. Good that you decided to lay off the bats though."
I'd love to Rebecca but I called my mam to put your order in and sadly she said we don't serve racists or trolls.
It's nice you like our cooking so do come back again to try and order when you've learned some manners. Good that you decided to lay off the bats though. Best-Hazel pic.twitter.com/0NHW438R3C— Hazel Chu (@hazechu) November 4, 2020
Ms Chu later posted a statement where she thanked people for their support and urged everyone to call out racism when they see it, stating "If you see someone racially abused please don't ignore. It's an issue for us all.
"It's not good enough to be not racist, we need to be anti-racist.
"Ireland is not a racist country," she continued, "but there is a minority of people that are very loud".
not to call you out on it. I spent years just ignoring racists but they're still around.
2) On screenshots/retweets of the offending stuff, be led by person targeted. Again its not about giving trolls oxygen, its about calling them out. Saying 'we will not stand for racism!'
2/6— Hazel Chu (@hazechu) November 4, 2020
"Ireland belongs to us all regardless of background or nationality, after all the Proclamation of Independence itself states 'cherishing all the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences'."
She went on to say that while she is able to hold her own against racist abuse, she wants her daughter, Alex, "to grow up to be able to look in the mirror and not wish she was a different skin colour.
"I want her & us all to celebrate our differences not be divided by them. Now more than ever we need unity."
The racist tweet sent to the Lord Mayor was later deleted for violating Twitter rules, but the account remains active.
