DUBLIN, Ireland (LifeSiteNews) — UFC mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has said that forced vaccinations are a “war crime” and that people must have “the right to choose” what to inject into their bodies.
In a stinging rebuke to both Irish and EU leaders, McGregor, himself an Irishman, predicted that “our lap dogs in power will just do as they are told” if an attempt to mandate the vaccine is made by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The comments come after McGregor tweeted that it was “time to talk about Ireland leaving the European Union,” prompting one Irish politician, Neale Richmond, to sarcastically reply, “You’ll do nuttin,” in an allusion to the star’s pre-fight catch phrase.
McGregor condemned the politician’s apparent subservience to the EU, saying “Stockholm syndrome comes to mind” when considering the economically devastating bailout foisted on then-Irish finance minister Brian Lenihan in 2010 by EU chiefs.
“Economic partnership should not mean political surrender. Bailed out and locked in we were, and it was handily done. Lenihan was threatened and folded. Stockholm syndrome comes to mind,” the Irishman tweeted.
“Forced vaccine is a war crime,” McGregor added. “You think forcing people to inject something into their body is not a crime? People must have the right to choose.”
“An attempt to mandate vaccine is coming, per the head of the EU. I cannot agree to this. I know our lap dogs in power will just do as they are told,” he said.
Von der Leyen had said on December 1 that a discussion was needed around the idea of mandatory vaccines in the bloc.
“How we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union, this needs discussion,” she told the press.
Germany is expected to join Austria in making the COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all citizens early next year.
Lockdown restrictions were more recently imposed on all Austrians, but these measures will be lifted for the vaccinated on Sunday, leaving unvaccinated Austrians to languish in their homes or risk arrest and fines.
The Irish government has most recently said that children as young as 9 should wear masks in school, as well as extending the use of vaccine passports from pubs and restaurants to gyms and hotels.
In an apparent admission of the vaccine passport’s inability to stop the spread of COVID-19, both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers into Ireland must now present proof of a negative test upon entry, a requirement not applied to vaccinated entrants until now.
McGregor had told his Twitter followers on November 22 that the vaccines “have not worked to stop this (spread of COVID-19) whatsoever.”
“More vaccinated than ever. More cases than ever. Re-evaluate this entirely. Stop taking handouts,” he advised.
The UFC fighter regularly “tweets and deletes” his more controversial statements, including his latest criticisms of vaccine mandates, explaining that the comments get reported and spread, amplifying his influence online, but that he doesn’t “like to keep negativity” on his channels.