Theatre Performers subjected to racist abuse in Dublin

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/BGETheatre/status/1488274763327975428

This is really bad. They've narrowed it down to just racism, which is obviously a big part, but most of us know the problems in Dublin are far, far deeper than that. There are gangs of youths hanging around these areas all the time now abusing or threatening people whether they are foreign or not, nothing ever done.

You can tell these particular incidents are bad when a theatre whose whole business is to attract visitors to the city center to their theatre is having to tweet that out.

When are the powers that be going to a grip on the state of the center of the capital city at the moment? It's their own policies that have it the way it is.

They have increased the number of gardai recently but the issues are such that it does not appear, at least from what I see, to have made that much impact. It's made some difference admittedly, there is visibly less delinquents (these are not all teenagers btw, adults as well) in some places in the evening but that's mostly around O'Connell St and around there. And even then how long will that last?

It's all a bit depressing really.

I think you can avoid condoning this type of thing while still saying that it boils down to

"a few people did a **** thing"

Would that be a fair summary of the incident- because i see it making headlines everywhere and, like, is there nothing else happening in the country at all that would be classed as news?

thefallingman

scumbags will always be scumbags and oconnell street is full of scumbags, always has been and likely always will be, which as a Dub is a pity

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118564766#Comment_118564766

I think the issue is it's emblematic of the problems in the city at the moment that are seriously visible particularly since COVID.

is_that_so

Regrettably it is not at all surprising given the location of the theatre. Some of the local "youths" were involved with the carry on when pubs opened outside last year. Sociopathy is a feature of some teens.

frosty123

So much for the "friendly Irish" can we kick that saying into touch once and for all, it's a tourist spun myth.

Ottoman_1000

I love to see the anti social behaviour address but I despair noting will ever be done. The fact these incidents never make it to main stream media means politicians don't face question on it so it all just gets swept under the carpet! I work with a Brazilian guy and we were out for pints one night and he told me he had to explain to his sister that was over visiting him that the Red Luas line was more dangerous that the route she would take home from a night out in Rio! I had to laugh....

growleaves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118566241#Comment_118566241

Not at all. The average Irish person is friendly.

Parts of D1, D2, D7 and D8 can be very rough though. Unfortunate that an acclaimed group of international black actors ran into a gang of scobies.

TomTomTim

Jesus. I was going to make a joke about giving NGOs more money to fix the problem, but they already did that. Money can't fix racism for **** sake.

Dyr

I hear Dublin is now worse than Chicago for racism towards actors

Patrick2010

Used to work in the area and there’s a high number of young scumbags who would enjoy picking on anyone they see as different, calling this a racist attack is ridiculous, they’d do the same to those they view as posh.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118566883#Comment_118566883

Where are they mostly from? That area long redeveloped.

Patrick2010

Flats in Pearse street are still there and only around the corner, didn’t see much regeneration there.

McDermotX

I must admit, when I sort of first saw the headline, I'd imagined a situation where the abuse was coming from the audience which seemed ridiculously absurd.......I mean why else would the theatrical angle be highlighted ?

Looks like scumbags scumbagging. It's really not news to anyone living in the real world.

Working class heroes

Jesus the hypocrisy in this thread is startling.

A group of Irish youths dishing out racist and homophobic abuse is just one of those things, lads will be lads and all that.

I can imagine your reaction if it was a group of travellers or immigrants dishing out abuse to “ordinary folk.” Yis Would all be frothing at your collective mouths.

elperello

Disgraceful carry on.

I'm sure the words used made it clear what the motive was.

Racism is not necessarily absent because they might attack people of the same race as themselves on another occasion.

shesty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118566917#Comment_118566917

I parked on Hanover St East on Sunday to go to the show -it's redeveloped but there are still old blocks of flats there, corporation owned (or whoever owns them these days).It's a rough enough area still.Those new buildings just give it an appearance of being less rough.I still wouldn't be mad about walking through the area at night.

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118566883#Comment_118566883

I'd echo this, if you were fat, walked with a limp, walked in a camp manner, were a male with long hair, were very tall, were very small these lads would abuse you. If you walked down the area in the same attire and look as them they would most likely rob you.

TheValeyard

Disgraceful carry on. But I'd doubt it's was for racial reasons. Those scrotes probably dont even understand any racial ideologies.

If it been a group of IT workers passing by, it be them, group of builders it be them, group of politicians, it be them, white, black, traveller, French, German, Kerry, Donegal, North side, South Side, college student, etc, etc no matter who passed by them, you were going to get abused.

Why? Because Dublin is has a small minority of absolute scumbag teens who have grown up completely immune to anything the Gardai or legal system has thrown at them. They have been emboldened by the last few years. The fear and respect nothing. I'm glad this got called out, maybe force some change, but I doubt it. We all know Dublin has become particularly menacing as of late.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567063#Comment_118567063

They may shout racist abuse at foreign looking people but we all know you don't have to be foreign. Scumbag problem more than racism problem imo. The racism is just incidental. They'd use the most abusive language whatever the difference was as others have said.

TomTomTim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567057#Comment_118567057

Not one post here reflects anything you've said, it might as well have been an hallucination. Nearly every posts is saying scum will be scum, which is nothing like boys will be boys. Dublin's underclass are one of the biggest problem groups in the nation, the initial poster made their whole post pretty much surrounding that.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567132#Comment_118567132

Of course you are right that there is an overall "scumbag problem".

However if a person is a having clearly racist language used at them there is nothing incidental about it.

Plain and simple they are a victim of racism.

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567057#Comment_118567057

Can you quote a post in here that said anything like that?

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567179#Comment_118567179

It's racist language but these lads are looking for a scrap. That's the goal for whatever demented reason. It's not first and foremost about racism in my view, that's just the bait. The bait changes based on the difference. Sure, you don't have to be different to get a dig or hopped on.

Fr Tod Umptious

So let me get this straight.

If someone is calling a black person the n word it's not racist abuse because that person is a scumbag anyway and they are just looking for a fight.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567329#Comment_118567329

No.

If the motivation for using a racial slur is to get a reaction, and if the person would use any incendiary insult to any person, regardless of their colour, it's a bit redundant to call it a racist attack.

If the person was obviously gay or feminine, he would get a homophobic slur shouted at them.

If the person was of short stature, they would be called an insulting slur based on that

If the person had a big nose, they would be insulted over that.

It's disgusting behaviour, but judging events from that area, and the large number of people who get abused for any reason, while the abuse was undoubtedly racist by its very nature, I have my doubts that the motivation was racist and that any other ethnicity wouldn't have come under the same abuse by feral little **** looking to provoke a reaction.

I'd say a lot of posters have never set foot in GCS. It's lovely during the summer at weekends. It's a complete knack magnet after hours. Comes down to policing, as always.

Working class heroes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567422#Comment_118567422

Jaysus, you must be dizzy after posting that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567498#Comment_118567498

Hopefully.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118567516#Comment_118567516

I know you probably thought that sounded clever than it came across.

I, as much as any other right thinking person, absolutely condemn racist abuse. That should go without saying.

In this situation, judging by the area, and the incidents I have witnessed, I have every reason to believe that the people who shouted racist abuse, would have shouted at anyone they could insult.

Now sure, they could just have been a local KKK brigade who specifically targeted these performers due to their ethnicity but more likely they were the types of little **** who would shout abuse at anyone.

Regardless, it should be absolutely condemned and those little fuckers were completely wrong but it is the sad reality that little scumbags will be little scumbags.

Your last post made it out that anyone who disagrees that this was purely racial hate motivated and not just opportunistic little dickheads using racism as a way of provoking a reaction, is some sort of racist themselves.

That's usually the tactic.

Rothko

Some people willingly missing the point and trying to twist the words of others. No surprise really but still disgusting.

Northernlily

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118566917#Comment_118566917

Social housing in the midst of all them lovely apartments. Little entitled Canada goose clad pricks. Learned attitudes from parents who don't really have an interest in being meaningful contributors.

Before someone jumps it's not an attack on social housing recipients. Dublin City just seems to have a huge number of toerags emerging from this demographic.

All these incidents are happening in an incredibly small area that you can walk in minutes. Last year there was a deliveroo cyclist killed by joyriders and a woman stabbed to death for no reason.

I live and work here, it's a menacing menacing feeling. Even here last night in D4 3 cars went up in flames and very nearly a house only for DFB. Looks like random arson attack.

I've exchanged plenty of words, they walk into shops take what they like, insult women out walking, attack foreigners for no reason. Nothing but parasites. Guards do not seem motivated to do enough.