Organise! IWA statement. Conor McGregor, Nikita Hand and the Far Right

Organise! International Workers’ Association wish to extend our solidarity to Nikita Hand, and indeed to all survivors of sexual assault.

Allegations of sexual assault have surrounded McGregor since 2018, but until now, nothing has been proven. Today, 22 November 2024, Conor McGregor was found guilty of sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel room, and ordered to pay €248603.60 in compensation. It is our opinion that no amount of money can make up for the pain and trauma that Nikita has endured. However, as stated by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in their own statement, ‘this is a positive verdict, and a mark of belief in survivors around the country.’

Conor McGregor’s links to the far right in this country are by now well known. His former boxing coach Phil Sutcliffe, a current Dublin City Councillor and election candidate for Dublin South Central, claims to oppose “illegal immigration.” Another known associate, Gavin Pepper, also a Dublin City Councillor and election candidate for Dublin North West, shares many of Sutcliffe’s views.

McGregor himself is opposed to immigration. On 22 November 2023, he took to Twitter/X claiming “Ireland is at war.” During the following day’s riots, he issued a number of tweets, among them the claim that “there is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place.” McGregor subsequently found posts he made on social media during the riots under investigation.

McGregor also maintains a close friendship with former MMA fighter-turned politician Paddy Holohan. Holohan has called young girls who report statutory rape “fucking scum,” and has accused women of fabricating sexual assault claims for money. Much of his narrative leans into anti immigration sentiment, and reflects the opinions of Ireland’s far right.

The evidence clearly shows that Conor McGregor surrounds himself with known far right agitators. These people wish to stoke hatred in order to divide our communities.

People like Pepper claim to be “protecting women and children,” but all have failed to call out McGregor on his behaviour. This adds weight to the fact that such claims are being made purely to scapegoat migrants. Others, like Malachy Steenson, claim that the rich should be allowed to sit on vacant properties without facing tax, thereby exacerbating a housing crisis.

Hermann Kelly, president of the Irish Freedom Party has previously publicly replied to Conor McGregor on Twitter/X, claiming “EU open borders mean more violence and sexual assault, but less houses.” While Ireland First president Derek Blighe has also shown his support for McGregor in the past, Vice President Margaret Alacoque Maguire is the only person to publicly respond to McGregor’s guilty verdict, claiming its “disgraceful from the judge and jury.”

If you lie with dogs, you get fleas. It is the opinion of Organise! International Workers’ Association that the far right do not care about the rights of women. They do not care about the oppressed in our communities. They do not care about workers. As Anarcho-Syndicalists we in Organise! will continue to oppose the far right in our communities.

And we will continue to stand in solidarity with women like Nikita.