The last SDLP MLA in Strabane was Eugene McMenamin had both his car and his home attacked. Like SF’s perils in Bangor, it’s the price of running against the thuggery of the post-conflict years.
Now at least the abuse Daniel McCrossan is taking is not (yet) physical. But it seems more than virtual:
“My car’s been followed, with photos of it posted online which is a bit of a danger for me being on the policing board,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“Activists from other campaigns have called me a scumbag and said they would ‘deal with me in the way that they see fit.’ It’s been very nasty.”
West Tyrone is a tight interface in which SF needs to squeeze the SDLP vote to eat up the gap between themselves and DUP (the only way of determining if this election is a success or not). The only way forward is to face it down.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty