The artist behind Eoin Ó Broin’s depiction of Gardaí taking part in a famine-era eviction has also shared images of a pig-headed Garda and a burning PSNI van.
The artist known as “Spicebag” also accuses Gardaí of protecting bailiffs during an eviction.
His work was shared by Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman, prompting 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 Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster tethered to a rocket atop a bonfire.
In addition to the reworked image of a famine-era eviction, the artist has also posted a cartoon pig’s head above a garda’s face on social media. A pig is a derogatory nickname for gardaí and police officers in other jurisdictions.
Adam Doyle, the artist known as Spicebag, has denied creating the pig-faced Garda image. He said it was made by another campaign group.
The artist was very critical of the Garda activities surrounding an eviction of a site occupied by squatters in the northern inner city.
“When the Garda boys showed up they immediately came to the aid of the bailiffs and protected them. These are the same Gards who will ignore 3,000 calls for domestic violence, but if, God forbid, a property developer doesn’t get their way, I’ll be on it like a fly on shit,’ he said.
His social media post goes on to say that the bailiffs’ departure was “covered by the Gardaí”.
Other so-called “Spicebag” artworks include a t-shirt depicting a burning Northern Ireland Police 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 text from their song right means “right”.
The song was removed from the playlist by Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ’s Irish-language channel, because 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 Northern Ireland Police Service, which has community support. RUC is used as an insult to the PSNI.
The artist also designed a tour poster for the band featuring a cartoon depiction of a bonfire with Ms Foster and then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson strapped to the rocket.
The artist’s oeuvre includes a series of images with a distinctly republican and left-wing political message.