Race attacks rise again in Belfast

dd972

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/05/poland-envoy-concerned-attacks-belfast

It mentions East Belfast and the UVF being behind these latest spate of attacks on Poles, a tad ironic when they deny being Irish but have a problem with 'foreigners'' coming to Ireland. They probably have a problem with the Poles being Left footers as well.

obezyana

Why are they attacking the poles sure don't they hang their flags from them? Are they not flying the flags properly or something?

Tail Docker

Fleggers in a flap over poles.

orangesoda

Sure some unionists think they are the true natives because the Cruithin were driven to Scotland in 637AD by the Northern Ui Neill, yet they use the red hand symbol which is associated with the tribes of that kingdom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruthin#Modern_culture

J_E

orangesoda wrote: »

Sure some unionists think they are the true natives because the Cruithin were driven to Scotland in 637AD by the Northern Ui Neill, yet they use the red hand symbol which is associated with the tribes of that kingdom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruthin#Modern_culture

How utterly ridiculous to have a mindset like that in this day and age. 'true natives' ffs.

Stained Class

Shure let them at it.

It's a different country FFS.

Let them destroy themselves.

See if I care.

I wish people would learn the difference between xenophobia and racism.

Amirani

Stained Class wrote: »

Shure let them at it.

It's a different country FFS.

You sound like a nice guy.

The Backwards Man

There are cnuts in Belfast just like everywhere else. The majority of Belfast people are good people, even I don't always agree with them, on both sides.

hfallada

I was reading a book for sociology in college now. That said Ireland is the least racist English speaking country in the world and it brackets its had (Southern Ireland). Its incredible how the south has gone from being of the most homogeneous countries in the western world, where everyone was white, irish, catholic. To being a tolerant and diverse nation. When the North is still fighting over marginal differences between two groups of people who are very similar. I knew its a very simplified understanding of the situation.

You can out about ROI being a ****ty, poorly run country. But we have made ourselves a very tolerant nation and dodged most issues european countries are having with non-nationals

ScumLord

Three homes where Polish families lived were attacked in east Belfast over the weekend with windows smashed and graffiti sprayed on hoardings with the words "locals only".

There is a certain irony, It's like they borrowed a page from the republicans, Brits out -- Locals only, as long as you've lived here for at least two generations. It's about time they started drawing facepalm memorials on buildings up there.

Stained Class

Diego Simeone wrote: »

You sound like a nice guy.

We have enough problems without paying any attention to a crowd of fools who have been pandered to by the USA & others.

GET A LIFE FOR FOOKS SAKE & SORT IT OUT!

Amirani

Stained Class wrote: »

We have enough problems without paying any attention to a crowd of fools who have been pandered to by the USA & others.

GET A LIFE FOR FOOKS SAKE & SORT IT OUT!

I don't have any problems. Sorry that you have problems, I hope they sort themselves for you.

Stained Class

Diego Simeone wrote: »

I don't have any problems. Sorry that you have problems, I hope they sort themselves for you.

What problems do I have?

NI has had it's problems. The Yanks panderd to it. The Brits pumped in millions into the place.

People running the show were given Nobel Peace prizes.

And yet, it's still a disaster!!

Fook it.

shampon

hfallada wrote: »

I was reading a book for sociology in college now. That said Ireland is the least racist English speaking country in the world and it brackets its had (Southern Ireland). Its incredible how the south has gone from being of the most homogeneous countries in the western world, where everyone was white, irish, catholic. To being a tolerant and diverse nation. When the North is still fighting over marginal differences between two groups of people who are very similar. I knew its a very simplified understanding of the situation.

You can out about ROI being a ****ty, poorly run country. But we have made ourselves a very tolerant nation and dodged most issues european countries are having with non-nationals

I can agree with you here. I have been living in the North for the last three years. It's a backward, hateful hole.

Sound of Silence

Stained Class wrote: »

We have enough problems without paying any attention to a crowd of fools who have been pandered to by the USA & others.

GET A LIFE FOR FOOKS SAKE & SORT IT OUT!

Maybe you should take your own advice on this one.

No one here has asked you to continue commenting on threads concerning Northern Ireland -- something which you've done quite a lot recently and entirely of your own accord.

Any agitation you're feeling is your problem.

P_1

Perhaps it's a cunning ploy from the loyalists to prevent a 32 county republic from ever happening.

Act so much of a bollox that nobody in their right mind would want the place.

Stained Class

Sound of Silence wrote: »

Maybe you should take your own advice on this one.

No one here has asked you to continue commenting on threads concerning Northern Ireland -- something which you've done quite a lot recently and entirely of your own accord.

Any agitation you're feeling is your problem.

Are you following/tracking/observing me?

Something creepy about you TBH.

Sound of Silence

Stained Class wrote: »

Are you following/tracking/observing me?

Something creepy about you TBH.

Don't flatter yourself.

If anyone posts enough in a thread I'm following, I'll recognise their username.

Stained Class

Sound of Silence wrote: »

Don't flatter yourself.

If anyone posts enough in a thread I'm following, I'll recognise their username.

Ah shure I'll have to keep my my mouth shut so....

and let you have your way.

orangesoda

shampon wrote: »

I can agree with you here. I have been living in the North for the last three years. It's a backward, hateful hole.

it is certainly not a hole, it has some of the best areas on the island and is dripping with culture, left right and centre

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

what i can't understand is, northern unionists don't come across as the master race. they've some dodgy, stupid, inbred individuals. it's not like romanian gypsies taking over bavaria.

i think poles improve this island if anything.

Nodin

Stained Class wrote: »

Shure let them at it.

It's a different country FFS.

Let them destroy themselves.

See if I care.

O ye charmer ye.

Galwayguy35

Is anyone surprised?

Whould anybody with an accent that sounds like you come from south of the border ever live in East Belfast?

The fact that most Polish are Catholic probably doesn't help either.

DildoFaggins

Lardle Dardle lardy dardy

ryan101

Nothing new for NI.
Poles are Catholic, and therefore sub human in the eyes of loyalists.

Chinasea

hfallada wrote: »

I was reading a book for sociology in college now. That said Ireland is the least racist English speaking country in the world and it brackets its had (Southern Ireland). Its incredible how the south has gone from being of the most homogeneous countries in the western world, where everyone was white, irish, catholic. To being a tolerant and diverse nation. When the North is still fighting over marginal differences between two groups of people who are very similar. I knew its a very simplified understanding of the situation.

You can out about ROI being a ****ty, poorly run country. But we have made ourselves a very tolerant nation and dodged most issues european countries are having with non-nationals

We have? What book were you reading? And btw, it isn't a competition who is better or worse. There have been several well documented racial murders in both the RoI and N-Ireland.

There are plenty of sad shameful facts and figures out there which will clearly give a much different report as to what you are saying. Try living in this country as a "foreign national" and/person with a different skin colour, then report back. Let's start at looking at this recent report from the Immigrant Council.

An end-of-year report from the Immigrant Council of Ireland showed 144 racist incidents were recorded throughout 2013 - up 85% from the year before.

Council chief executive Denise Charlton said the involvement of children - both as perpetrators and victims - was particularly concerning and that reports of racism peaked during school holidays.

"It is worth noting that July was by far the busiest month with 31 incidents, while other periods corresponded with mid-term periods around Halloween with 18 reports in November and St Patrick's Day when 15 reports were received in March," Ms Charlton said.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/huge-jump-in-racist-abuse-by-children-29873299.html

BearBanjer

Candie wrote: »

I wish people would learn the difference between xenophobia and racism.

I wish we didn't need those words.

shampon

orangesoda wrote: »

it is certainly not a hole, it has some of the best areas on the island and is dripping with culture, left right and centre

Bahahahaha

Yeah_Right

hfallada wrote: »

I was reading a book for sociology in college now. That said Ireland is the least racist English speaking country in the world and it brackets its had (Southern Ireland). Its incredible how the south has gone from being of the most homogeneous countries in the western world, where everyone was white, irish, catholic. To being a tolerant and diverse nation. When the North is still fighting over marginal differences between two groups of people who are very similar. I knew its a very simplified understanding of the situation.

You can out about ROI being a ****ty, poorly run country. But we have made ourselves a very tolerant nation and dodged most issues european countries are having with non-nationals

Seriously?!?! I have to say I find that very hard to believe. I think Ireland is a very racist country and definitely not the least racist in the English speaking world.

hfallada

Yeah_Right wrote: »

Seriously?!?! I have to say I find that very hard to believe. I think Ireland is a very racist country and definitely not the least racist in the English speaking world.

Have you been to any schools or colleges in Dublin. Irish and Non-Irish are mixing and forming friendships. If you go to most schools in the US, you will find the African americans go to one school and white children to another due to the way school districts are drawn. Even in places like NYC the schools are very much segregated. I would say Canada might be tolerant than us. But then again there is massive tensions between English speakings Canadians and French Canadians. To extent that French Canadians see Quebue as a state within a state, rather than a part of Canadian

Yes there is racism in Ireland. But there is racism all over the World.You will hear a German casually talk about their hatred of the Turks, a group of people in Germany for over 70 years and who are still called "Gastarbeiters or Guest Workers". You would find an Irish person talk about their hatred of Chinese within a few mins of talking to them.

Ireland is the only country in the EU without a far right, anti immigration party. And in a country where up to 20% of the population is foreign born, that says a lot about Irish people.

orangesoda

shampon wrote: »

Bahahahaha

so you agree with my point?

Grayson

hfallada wrote: »

Have you been to any schools or colleges in Dublin. Irish and Non-Irish are mixing and forming friendships. If you go to most schools in the US, you will find the African americans go to one school and white children to another due to the way school districts are drawn. Even in places like NYC the schools are very much segregated. I would say Canada might be tolerant than us. But then again there is massive tensions between English speakings Canadians and French Canadians. To extent that French Canadians see Quebue as a state within a state, rather than a part of Canadian

Yes there is racism in Ireland. But there is racism all over the World.You will hear a German casually talk about their hatred of the Turks, a group of people in Germany for over 70 years and who are still called "Gastarbeiters or Guest Workers". You would find an Irish person talk about their hatred of Chinese within a few mins of talking to them.

Ireland is the only country in the EU without a far right, anti immigration party. And in a country where up to 20% of the population is foreign born, that says a lot about Irish people.

You're forgetting the discrimination that certain people like travellers and roma suffer. Besides that I'd agree, Ireland is very tolerant.

The north though is different. I'm not saying they are all racists but there is far more than here. Studies I read found that the majority of people were highly distrustful of all outsiders. Rather than being a directed racism that you find in other countries it's more an an insular xenophobic dislike of anyone outside of their little groups.

Yeah_Right

hfallada wrote: »

Have you been to any schools or colleges in Dublin. Irish and Non-Irish are mixing and forming friendships. If you go to most schools in the US, you will find the African americans go to one school and white children to another due to the way school districts are drawn. Even in places like NYC the schools are very much segregated. I would say Canada might be tolerant than us. But then again there is massive tensions between English speakings Canadians and French Canadians. To extent that French Canadians see Quebue as a state within a state, rather than a part of Canadian

Yes there is racism in Ireland. But there is racism all over the World.You will hear a German casually talk about their hatred of the Turks, a group of people in Germany for over 70 years and who are still called "Gastarbeiters or Guest Workers". You would find an Irish person talk about their hatred of Chinese within a few mins of talking to them.

Ireland is the only country in the EU without a far right, anti immigration party. And in a country where up to 20% of the population is foreign born, that says a lot about Irish people.

No I haven't attended any schools or colleges in Ireland. If what you say is true then thats great and long may it continue.

I am speaking from my experience living and working in Ireland. What I have seen and heard in the workplace on the street and in social gatherings. I know there are countries out there where racism is a far bigger problem, I simply don't believe that Ireland is one of the least racist and most tolerant countries around.

P. Breathnach

hfallada wrote: »

I was reading a book for sociology in college now. That said Ireland is the least racist English speaking country in the world and it brackets its had (Southern Ireland). Its incredible how the south has gone from being of the most homogeneous countries in the western world, where everyone was white, irish, catholic. To being a tolerant and diverse nation. When the North is still fighting over marginal differences between two groups of people who are very similar. I knew its a very simplified understanding of the situation.

You can out about ROI being a ****ty, poorly run country. But we have made ourselves a very tolerant nation and dodged most issues european countries are having with non-nationals

Two comments:
1. It's not that difficult to qualify as the least racist English-speaking country in the world. I'd be more interested in seeing how we stack up against our Western European neighbours.
2. If your image of Irish society was based on what you might read in AH, you might think there was a great deal of racism and xenophobia in Ireland.

orangesoda

hfallada wrote: »

Have you been to any schools or colleges in Dublin. Irish and Non-Irish are mixing and forming friendships. .

There were numerous different races and nationalities in my old school in the heart of Northern Ireland, never a problem at all. It is the same in any respectable school regardless of country borders.

Herb Powell

Candie wrote: »

I wish people would learn the difference between xenophobia and racism.

I wish people would stop saying this is such an important distinction. It's a technicality. They're both related, and both disgusting.

P. Breathnach

orangesoda wrote: »

There were numerous different races and nationalities in my old school in the heart of Northern Ireland, never a problem at all. It is the same in any respectable school regardless of country borders.

I suppost that by "respectable" you mean middle-class.

I would exect lower levels of racism or xenophobia among the middle classes than among the working class or underclass (but in some cases it might simply be a question of people being slower to reveal such sentiments).

shampon

orangesoda wrote: »

so you agree with my point?

No.

Dyr

A goodly influx of eastern european taigs is to be welcomed. Sectarian headcount and all that.

RDM_83 again

Some of the reporting of the racism issue in NI (Belfast in particular) grates on me a little, while of course there isn't an excuse for Racism (or in this case xenophobia) the fact is this would not be a newsworthy event if the thugs involved had focussed on a different aspect of their identity and scrawled "No Catholics" rather than "Locals only"

KungPao

Is it because they (Polish) are mostly Catholic and seen as very friendly with the Irish? And they fear that they/their kids may one day vote for a unified Ireland?

Whatever the reason, it's pathetic. I don't understand how people have the energy and 'passion' to be so hateful. Do they not have anything better to do?!

My name is URL

Not just belfast... there's been a 40%+ rise in racial and hate crimes in the UK over the last couple of years. Place is steadily becoming one of the most xenophobic kips in Europe.

bear1

My name is URL wrote: »

Not just belfast... there's been a 40%+ rise in racial and hate crimes in the UK over the last couple of years. Place is steadily becoming one of the most xenophobic kips in Europe.

My wife has a friend who is Polish who lives in London and works in IT.
The poor guy says he has to cover up his accent as much as possible or he gets a lot of funny looks through-out his office and when he tells them where he's from they mumble the "stealing our jobs" bit.
I feel bad for the guy as he said he is ridiculed there based on his nationality instead of appreciated for the skills that he brings.
What's happening in Belfast is nothing new. I've read many times of these racial attacks.
It's disgusting to say the least but it won't stop until all that is left up there is them.

keeponhurling

hfallada wrote: »

You would find an Irish person talk about their hatred of Chinese within a few mins of talking to them.

.

Really?

I don't think I ever heard anybody say anything like that. In fact "a great bunch of lads" is the phrase I hear used the most to describe them.

I also think that even if an Irish person was racist/xenophobic, they generally keep these thoughts to themselves or only share among close friends.
i.e. they are aware that some people may be offended by them.

Reiketsu

I have lived in Northern Ireland all my life and honestly it saddens me when people seem to only focus on the bad happening in the country and don't realise that its a tiny group of idiots doing this stuff. You get assholes everywhere, its not exclusive to this country. I don't know one person who would approve of this behaviour and yet people act like we are all at it.

P. Breathnach

Reiketsu wrote: »

I have lived in Northern Ireland all my life and honestly it saddens me when people seem to only focus on the bad happening in the country and don't realise that its a tiny group of idiots doing this stuff. You get assholes everywhere, its not exclusive to this country. I don't know one person who would approve of this behaviour and yet people act like we are all at it.

I think that most people recognise that the ghetto communities are not represenative of everybody in NI.

Reiketsu

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I think that most people recognise that the ghetto communities are not represenative of everybody in NI.

The way people talk about the place in some threads would make you wonder

bear1

Reiketsu wrote: »

The way people talk about the place in some threads would make you wonder

There are also threads about our own country which would make you think it's a corrupt cesspit, but that isn't the case either.

P. Breathnach

Reiketsu wrote: »

The way people talk about the place in some threads would make you wonder

Remember that this is AH, so you can expect some poorly-expressed ideas. And some wind-up merchants.

Olive8585

orangesoda wrote: »

There were numerous different races and nationalities in my old school in the heart of Northern Ireland, never a problem at all. It is the same in any respectable school regardless of country borders.

Yep. My cousin went to secondary school in NI (she's Irish/British but one of her grandparents was foreign) and never really had any issues there, people just heard her accent and accepted her as Northern Irish.

She went down to Dublin for college and had endless questions and comments and interrogations...I wouldn't have believed her had I not seen it myself. When people asked where she was from and she said Northern Ireland, they'd say 'ah yeah but where are you REALLY from?' or 'well, your parents can't be from there', as if she was lying or something? She's not even half foreign, only a quarter. Granddad and dad born in Northern Ireland and the way people went on, you would have thought she'd just arrived in the country. It was pure embarrassing and cringeworthy to hear some of the things people said. Comes across as so ignorant and backwards in this day and age.