115 Romanians take shelter in a church after racist attacks
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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A five-day-old baby is among 115 Romanian people who took overnight refuge in a church hall — too afraid to remain in their homes following a spate of racist attacks in south Belfast.
In the latest development to the shameful episode for Northern Ireland, it emerged last night that about 20 families accepted an offer of help from the local church after they left their homes in Lisburn Road following a week-long period of racist attacks by thugs claiming to be members of the fascist group Combat 18.
The church offered to help after seveal of the families tried to take refuge in a house at Wellesley Avenue.
The families said they were tired and frightened but that the help of the church had shown them a positive side to the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland.
A number of the families, which include a new born baby and several young children, have been so terrorised by the violent attacks against them that they are now making plans to return to Romania.
“These people came here to Northern Ireland because they want to make a better life but now they have to go. They are very afraid and the only thing to do is go back to Romania,” a friend of the families said.
Belfast mayor Naomi Long last night visited the terrified families in an effort to show them they have the support of people living in the city.
“This is humanitarian issue as well as a race issue and work has to be done in the short term to make sure these people have somewhere to live and in the long term to ensure these issues are dealt with,” she said.
On Monday night around 200 people gathered on the Lisburn Road to protest against racist attacks in the area.
Protest organiser Paddy Meehan said a number of foreign nationals who were living in the area have since moved to a “safe house”. He added that local residents are doing all they can to support the victims.
“People are absolutely livid about what has been happening here and it has to stop. This has been happening since last Wednesday,” he said.
Meanwhile, police have appealed for calm following the latest tensions and they have reiterated their view that the attacks were not the work of organised extremist gangs, but of people from within the area.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, PSNI Area Commander Chief Inspector Robert Murdie said video footage from the event was being examined to try and catch the culprits.
“We are trawling through that to try and identify those involved. We strongly feel at this time that they are from the local area, they haven’t been brought in, they are not organised crime gangs,” he said.
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Comments
153 Comments
Why would there be unionist parties in the Republic?
Irish Catholic/Celts/Gaels? What century do you live in?
When did DeValera say that?
You present bigotted, sectarian and unfounded comments to try and cement some sort credence to your otherwise ridiculous conclusions.
Why not ask why there isn't a unionist party in the USA? They fought and won their independence, or Hong Kong, maybe.
Is their a global Catholic/Celt/Gael conspiracy?
Seriously can't take your last post seriously, bhamilton.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 29.06.09, 16:22 GMT
bhamilton, grow up and quit trying to justify something that is not there. Idiot.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 29.06.09, 10:50 GMT
Ulysses31. So, the overwhelming majority of people in the ROI are not Irish catholic (a catholic country for a catholic people - DeValera) and are not 32-county orientated as regards their general political beliefs? You obviously live in denial; what unionist political parties exist down south? And how many prods live down south? The simple facts are Irish Catholics/Celts/Gaels were involved in racist attacks against Poles. Whether anyone's ghetto is 'dictated by religion' or not is irrelevant.
Posted by bhamilton | 26.06.09, 17:21 GMT
Ulysses31, yes you are correct ghettos here are dictated by social class like the rest of the "normal" world.
bhamilton, have you ever been to Finglas? Do you think some people there riot against the Garda every halloween because they are nationalists, or because they are scum bags? Do you think when Loyalists want to parade in the centre of Dublin some of them come into town to throw things at the cops and loot because they are nationalists or again becasue they are scum bags and opportunists?
Posted by Bren | 26.06.09, 14:52 GMT
No, it was not an example. It was an example of rascism, sure, but are you assuming that everyone in the Republic is a catholic/nationalist? Is there a news article confirming this? Running by your assumption you can make that suggestion in just about every country in the world where rascism rears its ugly head.
I don't believe ghettos are dictated by religion in the Republic as they are in Northern Ireland
Posted by Ulysses31 | 26.06.09, 12:03 GMT
Ulysses31. Apparently, because this racist incident happened in the ROI three years ago it does not count! Joanna asked a question and I responded in kind. Was the Finglas incident an example of Irish catholic/nationalist racism or not? Yes or no?
Posted by bhamilton | 25.06.09, 15:14 GMT
I don't think that people in the Dublin would perceive themselves as nationalists in the same way as those in the North. Still, a bit of a distance to travel to find an example from 3 years ago.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 25.06.09, 09:50 GMT
Joanna asks (in an overtly sectarian manner) - 'When was the last time 100+ foreign nationals had to leave a nationalist area in fear of their lives?' Finglas, north Dublin, October 9th, 2006 - swastikas and KKK symbols daubed on the houses of Polish nationals. 30 Poles escorted away by Garda after violent attcks on them. Shall I tar nationalists with the same brush now?
Posted by bhamilton | 24.06.09, 15:36 GMT
Neil, I note that my last comment was not posted, again.
As I pointed out, "regular occurences within an area would lead people to think there is something endemic within the community."
As to why it would endemic, I would not how or where to start. It would be down to that particular community to address the issue.
It would also be entirely wrong to compare a sustained rascist attack, including the purposeful attack on a church, with bricks being thrown at a bus with no implied intent.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 24.06.09, 10:17 GMT
Can all the people posting here blaming the entire loyalist and unionist community not see the fundamental hypocrisy of their argument?
Where do the youths who were arrested actually come from, do we know?
There is a reason why many immigrants are in the village area - because it is an under developed area of Belfast, giving the cheapest living options, the area needs development, when people who have littel see others getting something for seemingly nothing, they will rebel against it.
Posted by Mihe | 24.06.09, 09:24 GMT
Well I'm from England and have visited Ireland many times in the last 5 years icluding Belfast 15 times or so. I love Belfast and the people and I'm thinking seriously about relocating there and will not let a group of thugs like this keep me away. I think we should all keep in mind that this is a group of people seeking somebody to blame for whatever is wrong in their lives. Let's not allow these idiots ruin things for the vast majority. Am I alone in my thoughts?
Posted by FREDDYLEE | 23.06.09, 19:07 GMT
The pastor said he didn't know who did this, but the BT knows better and blames racists. Churches get windows smashed every day.
Posted by neil | 23.06.09, 18:20 GMT
Neil, no-one is "tarring an entire community". The simple fact is that the vast majority of racism takes place in Loyalist areas. Therefore, there must be reasons for it. There are three principal causes as I see it:
1) Being raised from birth to despise the other side (i.e. Catholic/Irish). They believe that being British (whatever that is) and Protestant makes them superior to others.
2) Social deprivation and lack of education.
3) The influence of vile hate groups
Posted by Diderot | 23.06.09, 17:51 GMT
Whilst I do not agree with this racism, it is not in my back yard and I can afford to be compassionate to the ill treated, but I wonder how many posters would put their hands up to being NIMBY's (not in my back yard).
I do not agree with the attacks on this church or on ANY church, but during the Troubles and the displacement of our citizens, and various other atrocities, just how many churches opened their churches to their own communities?? Something to think about!!!!
Posted by Nee-Naw | 23.06.09, 17:04 GMT
ulysses your tarring of an entire community with the same brush would put you in exactly the same category of mickey(the poster you criticize.) its not the first time a tour bus has been attacked in west belfast but im still not going to stoop to your reaction of blaiming an entire community for a small group of thugs actions.
you guess wrong.
Posted by Neill | 23.06.09, 15:54 GMT
The comments here are just so depressing.
Prods vs Catholics, who'se to blame, blah blah blah. Don't you see that's the whole problem? I'm from Yorkshire and have visited Northern Ireland and believe it to be a beautiful place full of friendly, funny people. But if you can't move on and try to live like an integrated community then you will just remain a laughing stock to the rest of the world. I know it's just a minority but they give the whole of NI a very very bad name...wise up.
Posted by Laurence | 23.06.09, 15:44 GMT
Incidentally, Neill, when idiots post such comments centred in a fantasy world where apparently catholics were largely responsible for rascism in the USA during the '50s and '60s a response is called for.
As to your second paragraph, look elsewhere on the site you will find that the self-righteous idiot Mickey already tried the same idiotic response.
Can't speak for Joanna or Nigel but regular occurences within an area would lead people to think there is something endemic within the community.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 23.06.09, 15:31 GMT
As you are well aware, Neill. This thread has been connected to a number of various news articles. One of the specific articles I remember commenting on related to Combat 18 to which I drew connections to the BNP and the UDA. I also commented on the eerie coincidence that the initial attacks happened in around the same area where similar behaviour has been reported on before.
I note that comment has seemingly disappeared. That's very eerie.
I guess you fit into the Mickey category, then.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 23.06.09, 15:08 GMT
Catch a grip people. Do we really need to worry about whether or not it's a green or an orange issue? It's wrong, very wrong, and we should be uniting together against these thugs. This sort of tit-for-tat rubbish should be a thing of the past. Some scumbags terrorised innocent people. That's the only discussion. Everyone is asking me about this in London. Show the world what we Norn Irish are made of, please!
Posted by John | 23.06.09, 14:56 GMT
your all so 'its all protestant' blah blah. I'm protestant and i really don't agree with the violence - don't tar us all with the same brush as these scum. However if your all so protective over the romanians - go let them all live in the nationalist communities - looks like they will welcome them with open arms.
Posted by Rachel | 23.06.09, 14:56 GMT
153 Comments