A VIDEO BEING reshared on social media falsely claims that Irish authorities, with backing from the EU, are cracking down on independent media and so-called citizen journalists. No proof has been given that supports these claims.

The only evidence offered in the video is a request by a representative group for mid-ranking Gardaí asking the Justice Minister “to address the growing issue of citizen journalism and its impact on policing”.

Another claim made in the video – that camera footage shows Gardaí attacking people who were standing in their own front garden – is also false. The clip was in fact filmed in a public field next to a construction site, and during a riot.

The video making these claims was first posted to YouTube in April and has been seen more than 57,000 times on that platform.

However, it was more recently shared on Facebook by Kieran Kelly, an Irish businessman and self-described “Trump loyalist” who has been in the news recently for sharing misinformation about political and business rivals.

Kelly’s post featuring the video has been viewed more than 27,500 times since it was posted on 20 September.

The video features Mahyar Tousi, an internet personality who describes himself as providing “independent geopolitical news and analysis”.

Tousi’s YouTube channel has 1.2 million subscribers.

Speaking to camera, Tousi says: “There is currently a huge crackdown on independent reporters and citizen journalists in the Republic of Ireland.

“This was initially sanctioned by the European Union, and they called on all the European Union member states to do the same thing.”

He goes on to say: “The authorities in Ireland are calling for the arrest of new media reporters” and that the motive for this was that “the politicians don’t want any evidence of misconduct”.

Tousi doesn’t back up these claims during the four-and-a-half-minute-long video. It is unclear what, if anything, he might be referring to when he says that crackdowns on independent reporters were called for by the European Union.

Instead, the main evidence that Tousi presents is a statement made at the Annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) last April.

The AGSI is a body set up to represent the interests of mid-ranking Gardaí, who are legally forbidden from joining other trade unions or associations. According to their website, AGSI represents “2,500 Sergeants and Inspectors in An Garda Síochána”.

The statements issued in April by AGSI were widely reported at the time, and did include a reference to “citizen journalists”. However, this statement does not appear to call for a crackdown on independent journalists, let alone constitute one in itself.

AGSI sent The Journal the full text of the motion, which they said was unanimously approved.

It reads: “That conference directs the National Executive to call on the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to address the growing issue of citizen journalism and its impact on policing, member safety and wellbeing along with public safety and the integrity of investigations.

“Conference now calls on the Minister to ensure that the Garda Commissioner provides appropriate and adequate training along with clear and robust policies designed to provide members of An Garda Síochána with protection from & minimize exposure to abuse through social media whilst also ensuring a balanced approach that upholds the rights of individuals and members of AGS while maintaining public confidence in the justice system.

“An Garda Síochána policy and procedure around social media should center on balancing the public’s right to transparency with the need to protect Gardaí from potential harassment and operational challenges.”

This falls far short of the suggestions they AGSI had called for a crackdown on independent media.

AGSI also told The Journal that they had raised the issue with the Minister in April 2025 as well as with the Garda Commissioner and garda management. This included a verbal request “for an internal policy to minimise exposure, training and establish protocols for members to report social media abuse”.

However, they have not received written correspondence on this.

The video making the claim of a “crackdown” goes on to give an example of why it claims gardaí and politicians want to suppress independent media.

“I’m going to show you a video of how the Irish police, the authorities in general, and the political establishment, treat ordinary people in the Republic of Ireland,” the host says.

“If you are just standing outside your own house, in your front garden, while there’s a protest happening, you will be threatened by the police.”

The video shows a garda dressed in riot gear asking people filming them to “move back” under section 8 of the Public Order Act.

The footage was filmed during riots in Newtownmountkennedy in April 2024, about a year before the video first appeared online. But despite how the host introduces the video, it does not show people in their own front garden.

By comparing building and road features in the video with imagery on Google Maps Street View, the location has been confirmed to be a public field next to a construction site by the R765 at the south of Newtownmountkennedy.

While there is a housing estate south of this area, the footage is taken about 25 metres away from any area that could be considered a front garden.

Claims that the state is censoring or suppressing alternative media are common in fringe groups, and often form part of a narrative that “mainstream media” is uniformly controlled by the government.

Often this narrative gives fringe groups a reason to dismiss mainstream reporting they disagree with, while embracing baseless — or even debunked — claims shared on social media.

The Journal’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here.