Virgin Media star Katja Mia has revealed that the dad of a friend of hers was chased by far right protestors during the unrest in Coolock. There were several incidents of unrest and public disturbance at the site of a proposed asylum seeker centre in Coolock in July, with a number of people being arrested and members of the gardaí being injured. Six O’Clock Show host Katja , who was raised in Lucan after her parents fled war-torn Burundi, said that the far right have gone ‘too far’ over the rioting — and said it is difficult if you’re black in Ireland.
‘It is hard to see, a friend of mine’s dad who is a pensioner was working part-time as a security guard and was chased in Coolock just for existing,’ Katja told the Irish Mirror at Virgin Media ‘s new season launch. ‘It’s crazy how a lot of these bigots have grown in confidence. The far right have gone too far now.
‘Black and brown people struggle with it a little bit more at times because we can’t hide that we are not from Ireland ethnically, so you are subject to racial attacks on the streets now and again. A lot of people have been anxious lately, friends that I talk to, they feel a little bit more on edge, especially in town [Dublin].’ While Katja said that she herself hasn’t been the target of any racist comments recently, she still does get mean comments alongside her co-host on the Six O’Clock Show, Brian Dowling — with her saying that the pair usually just laugh it off.
‘We exchange.