A CHANCE MEETING of an anti-immigration activist and a man he has argued with on social media has led to both men facing charges in Waterford.

Both men are before Waterford District Court accused of a variety of offences arising from the same March 2024 incident, when they encountered each other on the streets of the city.

Walid Farhan has been charged with harassment of Michael O’Keeffe for allegedly “shoving a phone” into his face and “invading his personal space”.

Forty-year-old O’Keeffe – with an address provided as The Quay, Waterford city – is charged with two section 2 assaults on Farhan. He is also accused of two section 6 public order offences.

The incident initially arose on George’s Street in Waterford city where the two men – who the court heard “do not get on” and also “clash over social media” – came across each other in a shop on 11 March last year at lunchtime.

Farhan, who lives on Barrack Street, Waterford city, is accused of harassing O’Keeffe under section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

The 39-year-old Farhan, a Syrian national who runs a cafe in Waterford, is also accused of two section 6 public order offences arising from the same incident.

O’Keeffe has a large following on the X social media site, formerly known as Twitter, and has most recently had his posts reshared by billionaire owner Elon Musk.

No pleas were made by either of the co-defendants. Both men have been granted legal aid, with Wallid represented by solicitor Hilary Delahunty and O’Keeffe represented by Kenneth Cunningham.

Garda sergeant Alan Hayes told the court that both men “knew each other from social media” and were not on good terms.

“These two gentlemen do not get on,” Hayes said.

Judge Kevin Staunton heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the cases be dealt with at the District Court level.

The case previously appeared last Thursday 2 January, with this second sitting hearing the details regarding Farhan’s alleged harassment of O’Keeffe.

On this harassment charge facing Farhan, Hayes alleged it “took place only over one day”.

“They basically encountered each other in a shop,” Hayes said.

“Mr Walid did follow the other gentlemen as well, shoving a phone up into his face and invading his personal space a number of times and followed him up the street,” Hayes continued.

The judge accepted jurisdiction on the section 10 harassment charge, so that it will be heard in the District Court rather than the higher Circuit Criminal Court.

He put the case back to 13 February where a final date will be fixed to hear the case.