Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris chased down street while campaigning at Pride event

The Taoiseach Simon Harris has been attacked whilst attending a Pride event in Westport, Ireland.

The Fine Gael politician was attending the event when a woman in a black dress blocked his path as he walked down a street. The woman proceeded to film him as he walked down the street whilst attempting to eat an ice cream.

As the altercation continues, Mr Harris stumbles after being caught from behind as security tries to stop other people from getting closer to him.

The woman is also quickly moved out of the way as Mr Harris exits the scene quickly followed by his team and security. A clip posted on X/Twitter shows protesters continue to attempt to surround Mr Harris.

The incident came as Mr Harris was campaigning ahead of the local elections in Ireland on Friday, June 7.

Furthermore, it also came as parts of Ireland celebrated the start of Pride Month in the UK and days after the country formally recognised a Palestinian state. It is not yet known why the protesters decided to protest or target Mr Harris on that particular day.

Last week Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, formally acknowledged Palestine's statehood in contrast to other EU nations such as Slovenia, Belgium, and Portugal which haven't.

In a statement released at the time of the announcement, Mr Harris said the decision had been about "keeping hope alive". He added: "It is about believing that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security.

"We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process however we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive.

As he signed the agreement, last week, Mr Harris said: "This is an important moment and I think it sends a signal to the world that there are practical actions you can take as a country to help keep the hope and destination of a two-state solution alive at a time when others are trying to sadly bomb it into oblivion.

Mr Harris, 37, has been the leader of Fine Gael and Ireland's Taoiseach since Leo Varadkar announced his resignation earlier this year. When Mr Harris took office, he became Ireland's youngest premier, beating Mr Varadkar who became Taoiseach at the age of 38.

Talking about his vision for Ireland earlier this year, Mr Harris said: "Challenges can always be met if we cleave to those fundamental values which have served this nation well - hope, enterprise, equality of opportunity, integrity, security. I believe in public service and the power of politics to make a difference and to make people's lives better."

However, following Ireland's decision to recognise a Palestinian state, Mr Harris received criticism from Israel and other critics.