Gemma O’Doherty ‘was not welcome here and Longford didn’t agree with her’ says local mother

It has been one year, almost to the day, since heavily pregnant local mother, Aneta Safiak, ran across the grounds of the cathedral in her slippers and pyjamas to confront a woman who had used her son, Jonathan’s image for what many online have dubbed “a racist agenda”.

Gemma O’Doherty was doing a live stream video last year with Nationalist Party member, James Reynolds, criticising the ethnic diversity of Longford town, when Ms Safiak approached her for what she hoped would be a two-way conversation.

However, when Ms O’Doherty realised who Ms Safiak was, she refused to speak to hear and made her hasty escape.

Ms Safiak received widespread online praise for confronting the woman, who had posted a photo from a Longford primary school to her own Twitter account to illustrate, as she said, “how Irish people are quickly becoming an ethnic minority in many towns in Ireland”

The photo, she said, showed only four Irish children - ‘Irish’ meaning with Irish parents - but Ms Safiak explained to the Leader that all of the children in the photo apart from one had parents from around the world, with her own son and two other children in the photo having Polish parents.

“My son in that picture was among those that she called Irish because he is a white, blonde boy,” said Ms Safiak at the time.

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“And he is Irish. He was born here. He speaks fluent English and he speaks Irish. And it was so offensive to me because she used him to point out that his friends are, in her view, lesser than he is.”

Just over one year on and the photo has once again been produced as part of a live stream video on Gemma O’Doherty’s website - and for a similar agenda.

“I was very angry again because she used exactly the same excuse that the photo was widely available. If it’s widely available, it’s because of what she has done,” said Ms Safiak, referring to the fact that the photo was used worldwide for similar racist agendas online.

“She said that all these children growing up will not know where they’re from and what identity they have.

“My child growing up here is ten and he speaks better Irish than Gemma will ever speak. Who is she to tell him what identity he’s going to have and how he’s going to feel about Ireland? This is the only homeland he knows.

“It takes a very special person to come up with bulls*** like Gemma,” she added, before highlighting the fact that Longford in general has been extremely welcoming to her.

“Judging by last year’s comments, the people of Longford didn’t agree with what she was saying. She wasn’t welcome here. And the way she acted was hurtful for the people living here.

“The picture of these children is still used to promote some imaginary claim and, quite frankly, some racist claim, which the general public are against.”

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