Guest toonlass Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 More than 100 Romanian people who were forced to flee their homes in south Belfast have been moved to a leisure centre in the city. The group of about 20 families spent Tuesday night in a church hall after a spate of racist attacks on their homes over the past week. Belfast City Council, the police and social services are due to meet later. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it was a "totally shameful episode" in the city. "We need a collective effort to face down this criminals in society who are quite clearly intent on preying on vulnerable women and children," he said. Most of the Romanian families, including one with a five-day-old girl, have been taken to the Ozone Leisure Centre in south Belfast, where they will spend the rest of the day. They said they did not want to return to their Belfast homes. Lord Mayor Naomi Long said she did not want to see families "driven from Belfast". "They have a right to be in Belfast they are part of the fabric of this city. I want to see them treated with the respect and dignity that I would demand for any other citizen," she said. AT THE SCENE Mark Simpson, BBC News Looking at 115 Romanians huddled together on the floor of a Belfast church hall, it was possible to see the worst side of Northern Ireland - and the best - all at once. The speed with which Pastor Malcolm Morgan and his team created a temporary home for 20 families was remarkable. At the same time, the sight of men, women and children looking so helpless and scared was a stain on Northern Ireland's international reputation. Many of the families came to Belfast believing that the years of prejudice and narrow-mindedness were over. However, it seems that in some parts of the city, racism is the new sectarianism. "This is a small number of people who are engaged in this violence. I understand this is cold comfort to the people affected by it." Bernie Kelly, from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said it had been a very traumatic experience for the Romanians. "The whole thing has escalated very quickly," she said. "Working with the police and all the agencies together we are going to have to find a resolution." The BBC's Mark Simpson said that in some parts of Belfast racism had become the new sectarianism. There have been suspicions that a loyalist paramilitary group is involved in the violence, but this has been denied, our correspondent added. One of the women who took shelter in the church, who did not want to be named, said she was very upset and scared. She said she had feared the attackers had come to kill her and her family, and she now wanted to go back to Romania. But the help of the church had shown a positive side to the people of Belfast as well, she added. A Romanian woman covers her head as she arrives at a Belfast leisure centre Earlier, the group of 115 people had tried to take refuge in a single house, but was eventually taken to the church in a police minibus. Unsafe Anna Lo of the Alliance Party said the families were "very frightened". Ms Lo said attacks on Romanian homes - which included bricks being thrown through windows - had been increasing in frequency in recent months. "They are really very frightened," she said. "The women, when they were talking to me yesterday, they were really upset, tears in their eyes and said, 'You know we love it here, we'd like to live here, but we're too scared.' "A woman showed me her shoulder which was quite bruised and cut across, she was hit across the shoulder." Jolena Flett, Racial Harassment Adviser for the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, said they had been threatened verbally and then three properties were attacked on the same day. "There has been an issue about the families feeling unsafe in the properties they were attacked in. What we are trying to do is provide them with alternative accommodation," she said. Malcolm Morgan, pastor at the church, said he was happy to help and the Romanians could stay as long as they needed to. "It's a sad indictment of our society, but hopefully we can show them a different side to Northern Ireland and a caring side of Northern Ireland," he said. Anti-racist rally Police patrols have been stepped up in the area and officers are examining CCTV for evidence of those responsible for the attacks. These kind of ugly scenes are totally unacceptable Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "Police in the south Belfast area assisted several organisations in the temporary relocation of a number of families following consultation with community representatives. "Families moved to a near-by church and they are being cared for by the appropriate agencies." The families decided to leave their homes after an anti-racist rally on Monday night was attacked. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Absolutely horrible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northerngimp Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Irish being racist? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkerouac Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I think it'll turn out to be loyalist relayed. They have previously had ties with the NF and the BNP. So I wouldn't call it Irish racism, since they regard themselves as British, not Irish Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northerngimp Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Nice folks then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gash Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 This kind of stuff infuriates me, they are here(there) for a better safer life, not for daft cunts like that to attack their houses! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Snrub Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Utter, utter scumbags. And small minorities like these assholes hold the country back, and give the rest of us a bad name. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shak Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Terrible, always really disliked the idea of even going to Northern Ireland. Been there twice and there's just such a bad vibe about the place. There'll be some solid irony in this mind you if it's the British folk trying to send a "Go Home" message to some people in Ireland. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Terrible, always really disliked the idea of even going to Northern Ireland. Been there twice and there's just such a bad vibe about the place. There'll be some solid irony in this mind you if it's the British folk trying to send a "Go Home" message to some people in Ireland. Yep, its shit, the atmosphere in places down south can be incredible, Dublin on a night out is brilliant. Belfast however is the biggest hell hole on this island, heaving with scumbags and people who would for example kick the shite out of me if they heard someone call me by my name (cause its Irish innit and ye cant be Irish in Ireland). Cant wait to live there in September like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 decky....where were you last night ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 decky....where were you last night ? Throwing frozen turds through the windows of some Romanians, when will they get the fucking message? Irish jobs for British people and all that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedro111 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Decky, I was gonna take a trip to Belfast!! Having second thoughts now after your post. You may well have done the NI economy out of the £100 or so I might have spent there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Decky, I was gonna take a trip to Belfast!! Having second thoughts now after your post. You may well have done the NI economy out of the £100 or so I might have spent there. Its grand in the city centre like, just dont go to pubs and clubs too far out of the city centre. The Odyssey has a few bars and clubs, all friendly places full of students. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I've been advised by my GP,to take it easy for a few days,I was going to come to Belfast for said purpose,but it seems it isn't the best place to "book a rest". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I've been advised by my GP,to take it easy for a few days,I was going to come to Belfast for said purpose,but it seems it isn't the best place to "book a rest". Head down to the south of Ireland mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Tbf every beggar or Big Issue seller in Belfast is from Eastern Europe. Obviously some of them are working but the ones who aren't can fuck off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Tbf every beggar or Big Issue seller in Belfast is from Eastern Europe. Obviously some of them are working but the ones who aren't can fuck off. Im surprised the Belfast Telegraph hasn't hired every single last one of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shak Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Terrible, always really disliked the idea of even going to Northern Ireland. Been there twice and there's just such a bad vibe about the place. There'll be some solid irony in this mind you if it's the British folk trying to send a "Go Home" message to some people in Ireland. Yep, its shit, the atmosphere in places down south can be incredible, Dublin on a night out is brilliant. Belfast however is the biggest hell hole on this island, heaving with scumbags and people who would for example kick the shite out of me if they heard someone call me by my name (cause its Irish innit and ye cant be Irish in Ireland). Cant wait to live there in September like Dublin's shit man, get yourself to Galway for a weekend. Best place in the country. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indi Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Tbf every beggar or Big Issue seller in Belfast is from Eastern Europe. Obviously some of them are working but the ones who aren't can fuck off. So if you didn't have a job and had a family to feed, with no access to benefits, what would you do? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Did anyone actually get my little gag? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Snrub Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Book a rest = Bucharest Your humour ain't lost on me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Book a rest = Bucharest Your humour ain't lost on me. Good work mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Did anyone actually get my little gag? I did, thats why I stuck the wink in Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Terrible, always really disliked the idea of even going to Northern Ireland. Been there twice and there's just such a bad vibe about the place. There'll be some solid irony in this mind you if it's the British folk trying to send a "Go Home" message to some people in Ireland. Yep, its shit, the atmosphere in places down south can be incredible, Dublin on a night out is brilliant. Belfast however is the biggest hell hole on this island, heaving with scumbags and people who would for example kick the shite out of me if they heard someone call me by my name (cause its Irish innit and ye cant be Irish in Ireland). Cant wait to live there in September like Dublin's shit man, get yourself to Galway for a weekend. Best place in the country. Yeah ive got family down there, love it aswell. I live in the countryside in South Armagh, which is no different than down south thank god. Id hate to live in a town in the north that was split by sectarianism. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Tbf every beggar or Big Issue seller in Belfast is from Eastern Europe. Obviously some of them are working but the ones who aren't can fuck off. So if you didn't have a job and had a family to feed, with no access to benefits, what would you do? My point is that there are plenty of people coming to Belfast with no intention of getting work, if that's the case then they should stay at home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Tbf every beggar or Big Issue seller in Belfast is from Eastern Europe. Obviously some of them are working but the ones who aren't can fuck off. So if you didn't have a job and had a family to feed, with no access to benefits, what would you do? Go to a foreign country and leach of their benefit system till nothing is left and the Country is on its knees of course. Not that this is the right way about it of course, violence isn't the answer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now