RUTH COPPINGER BELIEVES Tánaiste Joan Burton has “brought animosity upon herself” because of her actions in government.

The Socialist/Anti-Austerity Alliance TD has again defended the controversial anti-water charge protest against Burton in Jobstown last November, insisting that people had a right to be angry at the Labour leader and that it was ”generally peaceful”.

Burton and her special adviser Karen O’Connell were held in a car for over two hours in a demonstration which involved Coppinger’s party colleague Paul Murphy and has been the subject of a garda investigation.

In an interview with TheJournal.ie, Coppinger said of the abuse aimed at Burton:

It’s not a Sunday School, people are angry, people are going to shout abuse, like you’d get at any Croke Park match.

She said that the most common word shouted at Burton was “traitor” but said she would not have called Burton the C-word as one protester did.

On a water balloon being thrown at Burton, Coppinger said that “a lot worse” has taken place during anti-austerity protests in other countries.
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Coppinger continued: “She [Burton] has brought animosity upon herself, absolutely. She’s betrayed people. She got elected on a completely different mandate in relation to the water charges.”

The Dublin West TD, who shares a constituency with Burton, said she was amazed that some people appeared to be shocked that people in working class communities were so angry given the austerity of the past six years.

Look out for more from our extensive interview with Ruth Coppinger on TheJournal.ie in the coming days 

Read: Joan Burton ‘would have to be a key witness’ if Paul Murphy goes on trial

Paul Murphy: It would have been peaceful to hold Joan Burton for 12 hours