Gerry Adams defends use of N-word in tweet: “I am opposed to racism”

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has issued a statement around his use of the N-word in a tweet on Sunday night while he was watching the film Django Unchained.

The politician has since deleted a tweet which read, 'Watching Django Unchained- A Ballymurphy Nigger' having drawn a lot of criticism for his use of a word that the vast majority of people see as unacceptable in any context. He has now issued a formal response - without an apology - on the Sinn Féin website, which reads, "My tweets about the film Django have triggered a lot of interest. Anyone who has seen the film, as I did last evening, and who is familiar with the plight of nationalists in the north until recently, would know that my tweets about the film and the use of the N-word were ironic and not intended to cause any offence whatsoever. “Attempts to suggest that I am a racist are without credibility. I am opposed to racism and have been all my life. “The fact is that nationalists in the north, including those from Ballymurphy, were treated in much the same way as African Americans until we stood up for ourselves. “If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. For this reason I deleted the tweets.”