Calls for crackdown on race hate material in Northern Ireland
Thursday, 23 July 2009
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DUP MP Gregory Campbell has led calls for a crackdown on hatred-inciting material after attempts by a sinister new loyalist group to drum up support against foreigners living in Northern Ireland.
The Ulster British People’s Party (UBPP) has been engaged in an internet and leafleting campaign distributing anti-Polish propaganda in the past few weeks, with thousands of letters being left on cars in towns across the province.
The overtly racist message outlines “the migrant threat” and warns Northern Ireland will “become a Roman Catholic country” — contradicting the theory that |recent racist attacks, which forced 112 Romanians to flee the country, were sporadic with no organisation behind them.
Yesterday, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that a UDA magazine defending the murder of Catholic community worker Kevin McDaid and glorifying the intimidation of the Romanians, was being distributed in Co Londonderry.
Last night Mr Campbell urged members of the public to disassociate themselves from such literature.
“Any literature or magazine whose purpose is trying to stir up hatred towards any group on the basis of inaccurate information would have to be condemned,” he said.
“But when it is promoted on the streets, how do you deal with them? In our view, they are best dealt with by the public not buying the magazines or telling people they see handing out leaflets that they don’t want to accept them.”
The racist material handed out by the UBPP refers to the “huge influx of Polish migrant workers”, the letter states that “these migrants are forcing down wages because they will work for tuppenneys”.
A spokesperson for the Polish community in Northern Ireland said that the literature was causing “a lot of unnecessary tension”.
“We are concerned about the rise in hate crime and in hostile activities,” she said.
“Unfortunately, all around Europe we are experiencing a rise in neo-Nazism and the situation in Northern Ireland is particularly difficult because of the country’s troubled past.
“The world is becoming more diverse and more multi-cultural and the only way of living in harmony is to start learning about each other and reaching out to each other.”
A PSNI spokesman said police will investigate any leaflet that incites hatred.
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Suppression of wages? Check
Rise in cost of living? Check
GDP per capita lowered? Check
Massive pressure on public services versus meager rise in tax revenue? Check
Give it up for diversity, multiculturalism, and New Labours mass immigration policy!! With due respect to the mass immigration advocates, Skilled immigration yes, mass immigration and open door policy no thank you.
Posted by AngryVoter | 08.08.09, 17:45 GMT
Lol if the BPP had all these members why did they only get 9 at the Leeds demo, this is a outright lie, the BPP have less than 30 members there just managing to stay a float, even in National circles there classed as a joke, put up the proof of these thousand of letters, more propaganda for these fools..
Posted by Annoyed | 05.08.09, 12:02 GMT
"One young man with bills to pay told me he had put in for four or five jobs without success. I doubt if this would be allowed to happen in their countries."
Damn, you think that's rough? Move to the U.S., put out 40 resumes, don't hear back on any, and then bitch about being unemployed after only a few applications.
Posted by baffled | 27.07.09, 18:08 GMT
Why do the Telegraph fall for this nonsense? According to the antifascist magazine Searchlight the BPP has 30 members across the whole UK, but a rather noisy and vile website.
"Thousands" of letters is an ouright lie and you fell for it.
There's no proof. Ask the journalist who wrote this to prove that they actually investigated these claims.
What nonsense.
Posted by Eddy Morrison | 24.07.09, 22:16 GMT
The fact that the bpp are trying to whip up trouble in ulster sickens me,they have tried it in leeds on several occassions but there going no where fast.immirgration needs to be addressed across the uk but not by these scum bags there leadership of kevin watmough and kate dermody and die hard nazis who thrive on hatred,they use northern ireland because of tensions of the past not because they are from there just because the rest of the uk would`nt give them the time of day.
Write to your mp protest against them and eventually they will scurry of down the drains into the sewers which spawned them.
Posted by john | 24.07.09, 10:26 GMT
Interesting comments from Diderot that we all share this island and world together and who cares what religion they are.
I agree , I have no problem with anyones religion , be they Muslim,Roamn Catholic or whatever,I have no issue with their culture either.
I do not believe that the Irish Nationalist/Republican movement shares the same view as they regularly deny the culture and identity of Unionists-Loyalists-Orangemen and women.
It seems that the Republican movement have a Gaelic-Roman Catholic ethos that demands that the Ulster Unionist culture is an alien culture.
Posted by Steve | 24.07.09, 06:04 GMT
Its ironic the racist brigades always manage to bring in another attack on Christian beliefs under the banner of hatred!! Now thats not very Christian is it? The great defenders of our Protestant faith will kill other people of the Earth that God created because they look /talk different!.. Jesus wouldnt have stood a chance in Ulster- He looked different -He talked different!! Thy shall not kill ! The great Protestant protecters will extort money from fellow Christians to take holidays in Poland , Spain Romania and even own property there!! They are against foreign invasion yet they call themselves Ulster -Scots while living in the north of Ireland!! I thought Scots lived in Scotland. Why dont they look at Irish Protestant history starting with 1798. Why dont they ask themselves .Why are the Irish and the Scots the same race of people and called CELTS! Why????
Posted by mike monahan | 23.07.09, 23:23 GMT
The UBPP propaganda proves what I always thought - that their hatred of immigrants isn't because they are from other countries but because they are Catholics. That has always been the one and only hatred of loyalism. I can't help wondering, that when the country is reunited, will the neo-nazis of loyalism remain here or clear off?
Posted by Seamus5775 | 23.07.09, 22:49 GMT
go to England and see how fragmented society has become. That's my advice to anyone who has never left N.Ireland and believes in kumba-ya-my-lord-kumbaya.
Posted by Greg | 23.07.09, 22:07 GMT
Yet another example of outright bigotry from loyalism.
The dinosaur that is loyalism continues to make itself a laughing stock around Europe and the world.
With its blood-thirsty anti-Catholic 12th celebration, its thuggish bonfires, its racist attacks on minorities and general aggression to anything unknown to their small insular world.
Keeping jobs from locals - don't make me laugh - those louts wouldn't set foot in a workplace when they can get State benefits each week to pay their housing, get their DLA car, buy drugs, buy nightly alcohol and then buy their gold chains with whatever is left.
Posted by SP | 23.07.09, 20:57 GMT
if you took the hatered out of Irish Politics you wouldnt have Unionists sure they hate every thing Irish including themselves. every year they have to fly those cursed union jacks and other loyalist flags from every lampost that they can get their hands on to try to tell themselves 'hey we arent Irish we are Brittish'. If you wnet over to England you wouldn't see union jacks flying and that is their flag and ask the average English man in the streets about the situation in the North nine out of ten would say that we should get out as it isnt our country.
Posted by sean from co down Ireland | 23.07.09, 17:07 GMT
"The overtly racist message outlines “the migrant threat” and warns Northern Ireland will “become a Roman Catholic country”"
Legitimite points of discussion big John? Don't make me laugh, this is blatant bigotry, something the Loyalist community regularly excels in. When they grow up and accept that we all share this island (and world) together, then things will be a lot better. Who cares if migrant workers are Catholics (or Muslims or Sikhs or whatever). Religion is a private matter and has no place in the public domain. Many of these people claim to be defending "Protestantism" yet it's clear they've never once read Jesus' sayings in their lives, if they had, such neanderthals spouting bigoted babble would no longer exist.
Posted by Diderot | 23.07.09, 16:27 GMT
James - perhaps you can elaborate on why you think "Gregory Cambell should quit his job"? Because in the absence of any further information it would appear to a lot of people that you are in agreement with the publication in question.
Posted by Gerry | 23.07.09, 16:08 GMT
There are many people who are genuinely concerned about immigration not only here but throughout the UK and the Republic. People like Mr Campbell bury their head in the sand as immigration effects peoples job prospects in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK. As someone involved in sport I meet with many young people and others who cannot get a job and who want to work and yet we have thousands of Eastern Europeans and others employed in Northern Ireland and the UK. One young man with bills to pay told me he had put in for four or five jobs without success. I doubt if this would be allowed to happen in their countries. It is untrue to say that these people are only doing jobs people do not want to do.You cannot stop people spreading leaflets if it is true. It is up to others to disprove it.
Posted by big John | 23.07.09, 16:06 GMT
Konrad, did you just get off the bus from crazy town are you taking the mickey?!?!?!?!
Posted by Bren | 23.07.09, 14:46 GMT
"Any literature or magazine whose purpose is trying to stir up hatred towards any group on the basis of inaccurate information would have to be condemned,” said Gregory Campbell.
So, he would excuse the stirring up of hatred if it was based upon accurate information?
Hatred is hatred regardless. Gregory Campbell has been a little too careful with his wording - wouldn't want to lose voters now, would he?
Posted by John | 23.07.09, 13:36 GMT
Gregory Cambell should quit his job. I wouldn't vote for him. Maybe Sinn fein would welcome in as a member.
Posted by James | 23.07.09, 11:46 GMT
Well done to Gregory on this statement - does his comment on 'Any literature or magazine whose purpose is trying to stir up hatred towards any group on the basis of inaccurate information' extend to hatred towards gay people, and if so, has he spoken recently to Mrs Iris Robinson?
Posted by Brian | 23.07.09, 09:47 GMT
Unfortunately it will probably lead to the same sort of robust policing and enforcement as that promised in respect of anti littering and drunkeness during the 12th demonstartions.
Posted by john | 23.07.09, 08:24 GMT