Mark Drakeford blasts anti-lockdown protestors who targeted his home

Mark Drakeford has blasted anti-lockdown protestors who targeted his home.

The First Minister has spoken publicly for the first time about the “frightening” and “alarming” demonstration, which prompted concerns for his security.

On Saturday 24 July a crowd of around 150 gathered outside the politician’s private residence in a street near to the city centre with chants calling for him to be arrested.

Some reports suggested that those taking part included some wearing yellow star badges, similar to those Jewish people were forced to wear in Nazi Germany.

Drakeford told presenter Rob Osborne on ITV politics show Sharp End: “The job I do, you expect people to express their views to you – sometimes positive, sometimes not.

“But there’s a place to do it, which is in the workplace – not at somebody’s home.”

‘Elderly’ 

He added: “My real objection to what happened was not about me. But where I happen to live – on one side of my house there are elderly people who live there; immediately on the other side of my house there are children under the age of five living there.

“They were all at home that day. They didn’t know what was going on. All they knew was there was a large crowd of people making a very significant amount of noise, which they found frightening and alarming.

“Now, it’s wrong, isn’t it, for people who have nothing to do with that debate to be targeted in that way. Protest outside the Welsh Government building; protest outside the Senedd.

“There are public spaces where the right to protest – which is very important – can be properly exercised, without alarming and creating genuine fear amongst people who have no responsibility at all for the issues that people were protesting about.”