A priest who threw a tin of red paint at the Russian Embassy entrance yesterday said he felt proud because the invasion of Ukraine was “the work of Satan”.
Fr Fergal MacDonagh added he felt compelled to show his solidarity with people in the war-torn country after the shelling of a maternity hospital.
The parish priest of Dolphin’s Barn and Rialto in Dublin, who was directed to leave the area by a
garda after he splattered the paint on the front gate, also revealed a group of Ukrainians clapped and thanked him. He was told by gardai that he will receive a court summons for criminal damage.
Fr MacDonagh, who spoke about mothers and children being forced to take cover in the basement of the hospital, said: “It’s absolutely evil, it’s the work of Satan.
“To do that to innocent people, to bomb hospitals, kindergartens, schools, universities. Whatever about bombing military installations, there is no justification to bomb the fabric of the country.
“I don’t hate Russia, I don’t even hate the Russian army, those poor kids didn’t know what they were being led into. They’re being led by lunatics.”
Fr MacDonagh, 62, said he does not know of any Ukrainian people in his parishes or within the local school but he wanted to show his revulsion with Putin’s war.
He added: “I pray every day for the people of Ukraine and I stand in solidarity with them.
“I threw the paint on the gate and the gate was closed and only Russian property was damaged.
“The nice thing about it is if I am charged with criminal damage to the Russian Embassy that place is sovereign Russian territory and I’m proud that I did criminal damage to Russian territory... I’m really proud.”
Fr MacDonagh said he met one
of The Ukrainian Support Group organisers behind a peaceful march in solidarity with Ukraine in Dublin today and they asked him to speak at the event. He added: “There was a group of Ukrainians up there and when I left after the Garda warning they all clapped and they came up to me and they thanked me so much for what I had done.
“As far as I’m concerned it was a peaceful protest.”
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
