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The artist behind Eoin Ó Broin’s depiction of gardaí taking part in a famine-era eviction has also created images of a garda with a pig’s head and a burning PSNI van.
he artist known as “Spicebag” also accuses gardaí of protecting bailiffs at an eviction.
His work was shared by Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman, sparking a backlash from a Garda representative body.
Also known as Mála Spíosraí, he appears in photos wearing a black balaclava. He was also behind a controversial cartoon of former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster strapped to a rocket on top of a bonfire.
Alongside the reworked image of a famine-era eviction, the artist has also placed a cartoon pig’s head over the face of a garda on social media. A pig is a derogatory nickname for gardaí and police officers in other jurisdictions.
The artist was heavily critical of the garda activity around an eviction from a site in the north inner city, which was being occupied by squatters.
“When the Garda boys turned up they went straight to the aid of the bailiffs and protected them. These are the same Gards who will ignore 3000 domestic violence calls, but if, god forbid, a property developer doesn’t get their way, they’ll be on it like a fly on shite,” he said.
His social media post goes on to say the departure of the bailiffs was “covered by the Gardaí”.
Other so-called artworks from “Spicebag” include a t-shirt with an image of a burning Police Service of Northern Ireland van with the slogan in Irish “No welcome for the RUC”. The t-shirt is for the Irish language rap group Kneecap and is a lyric from their song Cearta meaning “right”.
The song was removed from the playlist by RTÉ’s Irish language station Raidió na Gaeltachta as it contained multiple references to drugs, sex and the PSNI.
The RUC was the previous police body in Northern Ireland, dominated by Protestants and often accused of sectarianism. The Royal Ulster Constabulary was disbanded under the Good Friday Agreement and replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which draws cross-community support. RUC is used as a insult to the PSNI.
The artist also designed a tour poster for the band with a cartoon image showing a bonfire with Mrs Foster and then British prime minister Boris Johnson tied to the rocket.
Adam Doyle, the artist known as Spicebag, has denied creating the image of the Garda with the pig’s face. He said it was made by another campaign group.
The artist’s body of work includes a series of images with a distinctly republican and left-wing political message.
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