Library staff have been left feeling anxious and uneasy following a series of protests in public libraries around the country staged by far right agitators according to a new study
The research conducted by UCD was based on interviews with 26 library workers between June and October this year
Staff had been subjected to harassment by protestors who video recorded them without consent and attempted to remove LGBTQ+ books they considered "inappropriate"
On foot of the protests safety measures such as panic buttons and buddy systems were implemented in some libraries
Speaking to RedFM News Richy Carrothers from the FÓRSA trade union says while staff feel heard, the threat remains
"This has happened within the last three or four weeks in a number of places, we see the situation where library workers have been abused on an ongoing basis, so it hasn't gone away. It remains an ever present threat. The General Election presents a further platform for harassers and abusers to engage in unruly behaviour within libraries"
