Editing Bob Geldof (section)

===Freedom of Dublin and Easter Rising comments===
In 2016, when Ireland was marking the 100th anniversary of the [[Easter Rising]], Geldof caused controversy when he likened the rebel leaders to [[Islamic terrorism|Islamist]] [[suicide bomber]]s. The uprising in Dublin against British rule was a key event that led to Irish independence. Geldof called it the "[[original sin]]" of the Irish state.<ref>{{cite news |title=Straight talker Bob Geldof releases WB Yeats documentary |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30828314.html |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |date=16 February 2018}}</ref>

The following year, Geldof returned his [[Freedom of the City of Dublin|Freedom of Dublin]] award in protest at Burmese leader [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] holding the same honour. He said he does not want to be associated "with an individual currently engaged in the [[Rohingya persecution in Myanmar (2016–present)|mass ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people]]".<ref name = renounce>{{cite news|title = Bob Geldof renounces honour also held by Aung San Suu Kyi|first = Isabel|last = Bennett|url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/13/bob-geldof-renounces-honour-also-held-by-aung-san-suu-kyi|date = 13 November 2017|access-date = 13 November 2017|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]|url-status = live|archive-date = 13 November 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171113052832/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/13/bob-geldof-renounces-honour-also-held-by-aung-san-suu-kyi}}</ref> He added that if Suu Kyi "is stripped of her Dublin Freedom, perhaps the council would see fit to restore to me that which I take such pride in".<ref name = renounce /> The [[Lord Mayor of Dublin]], [[Mícheál Mac Donncha]], accused Geldof of hypocrisy, saying "I find it ironic that he makes this gesture while proudly retaining his title as [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]], given the shameful record of British imperialism".<ref>{{cite news |title=Geldof returns Freedom of the City of Dublin in Aung San Suu Kyi protest |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30813886.html |work=[[Irish Examiner]] |date=13 November 2017}}</ref>

One month later, Dublin City Council voted to revoke the Freedom of the City from both Suu Kyi and Geldof, with several councillors saying Geldof had "insulted" Dublin.<ref name = SuuKyiRevokedRTE>{{cite news|url = https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2017/1213/927221-aung-san-suu-kyi/|title = Councillors vote to revoke award from Aung San Suu Kyi|work = [[RTÉ News]]|date = 14 December 2017|access-date = 15 December 2017|archive-date = 14 December 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171214071527/https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2017/1213/927221-aung-san-suu-kyi/|url-status = live}}</ref> Geldof was furious at the decision to revoke his award, calling it a "[[Sinn Féin]] stitch-up" because of his Easter Rising comments.<ref>{{cite news |title=Furious Geldof blames 'Sinn Féin stitch-up' for losing freeman status |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/furious-geldof-blames-sinn-fein-stitch-up-for-losing-freeman-status-sx66zr55s |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=15 December 2017}}</ref>