Irish Ice Hockey Star Resigns in Protest Over Vaccine Passports, 'Total Government Control'

Irish ice hockey star Niall McEvoy announced to his coaches and teammates that he was resigning, explaining he could no longer represent a country that requires vaccine passports.

The Irish government passed a bill in the last two days that will require proof of vaccination if customers want to dine in restaurants, pubs and cafes indoors.

A "vaccine passport," either paper documentation or an EU digital COVID-19 certificate, will very soon be required for people to enter all indoor establishments in Ireland, according to BBC.

On Friday morning, McEvoy sent an email to his teammates and coaches of the Irish National Ice Hockey team to resign.

The email, which was read in full on the Richie Allen Show and posted on his website, said, "Ireland is now, officially, a Medical apartheid/Fascist State in line with the wider global control grid."

"The group of people acting as the Irish Government has been allowed, by our citizens, Gardaí and the Irish defence forces to erode our rights given to us under the Irish constitution, the UN declaration of human rights and have broken the Nuremberg code."

McEvoy added, "I can no longer represent a country that has approved of the discrimination and segregation between vaccinated people and unvaccinated people."

The hockey star explained that over the course of the pandemic, he and his family "became second-class citizens in Ireland. We can no longer do the same thing that first-class citizens can do."

"This is extremely dangerous to our democracy," McEvoy said. "These laws are unjust and thus giving me the right not to follow them."

He added that because the police support the government in this decision, he "can no long[er] trust those sworn by oath to protect us."

He said he would not accept the use of vaccine passports or any other kind of identification, as it "allows for total government control over the citizens of Ireland and akins us to cattle."

McEvoy, who has played for the Irish National Ice Hockey team for 13 years, said he hopes in the future he can rejoin his team and lifelong friends, "which has also given me so much joy and happiness throughout the years."

Commenters on Richie Allen's story shared their support for the hockey player. One wrote, "Niall—u have single handedly restored my faith. I am so very very proud of ur courage and stance on this very huge issue."

Another commenter also said, "Well done young man, you are a hero of this Scamdemic."

Newsweek reached out to the International Ice Hockey Federation for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

Belfast Giants Ice Hockey
Irish Hockey player Niall McEvoy resigned Friday due to Ireland's recent vaccine passport bill. General view of the Belfast Giants game against the Nottingham Panthers in the UK Elite League at the game at the... Michael Cooper/Getty Images

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