Northern Ireland killing

[Duke of Marmalade]

Why don't you walk around the Andytown or Falls Road and see how many people from minorities live there compared to protestant areas. Thats why the problem is more pronounced in South Belfast for the past few years.

This is a very fair point. There are Chinese restaurants in A'town whose owners state that they have never had a problem, but I suppose that is not the same thing.

I still stick by Betsy's thesis that the PM is more sectarian than the CM.

 

[Bill Struth]

Yes because the Catholic community in belfast is completely made up of open minded welcoming souls.

And long may it continue.

There is smugness in the Nationalist Community in the North when it comes to racism.

What a strange thing to say!?

Why don't you walk around the Andytown or Falls Road and see how many people from minorities live there compared to protestant areas. Thats why the problem is more pronounced in South Belfast for the past few years.

Your logic confuses me. I've walked around there many times and strangely enough the last thing on my mind was counting people with different colour skin. Are you from the area? I'm sure you have statistics to back up such a bold assertion?

 

[Sunny]

And long may it continue.

What a strange thing to say!?

Your logic confuses me. I've walked around there many times and strangely enough the last thing on my mind was counting people with different colour skin. Are you from the area? I'm sure you have statistics to back up such a bold assertion?

My father is from the Falls road and I have still have relations living on it so yes I know the area better than you who has just walked around it and developed some idealistic vision of the Nationalist Community. Some of my relations are amongst the most biggoted people I have ever met. Doesn't make them bad people because I know the suffering that they have gone through but this idea that all Protestants/Loyalists are racist sectarian scum while all Catholics/Nationalists are innocent welcoming warm people is crap.

I will accept that Loyalist groups have attched themselves to other extreme elements such as Combat 18 and the BNP which is worrying and there seems to be a greater willingness to resort to violence on the part of Loyalist groups. I would also still have serious concerns about policing.

I don't have the stats off hand but I can probably find some. There was an article in one of the Nationalist papers on the subject. Will try and find it for you.

 

[Bill Struth]

developed some idealistic vision of the Nationalist Community..

I was born and raised in the Short Strand. Left the area only a few years ago.

Some of my relations are amongst the most biggoted people I have ever met...

What a shame. The family and friends that I have on the Falls and further up the road are some of the most genuine, kind people that I know.

but this idea that all Protestants/Loyalists are racist sectarian scum while all Catholics/Nationalists are innocent welcoming warm people is crap. ..

As you well know, no-one is saying that. My above reply to you was tongue in cheek, I thought that much was obvious.

I will accept that Loyalist groups have attched themselves to other extreme elements such as Combat 18 and the BNP which is worrying and there seems to be a greater willingness to resort to violence on the part of Loyalist groups. I would also still have serious concerns about policing...

Yes. They need to do a lot more than help people move out of their homes.

I don't have the stats off hand but I can probably find some. There was an article in one of the Nationalist papers on the subject. Will try and find it for you.

Please do, I'm genuinely interested. I did read one which somehow blamed the racist attacks on a lack of housing, something which I do not accept for one minute.

 

[Caveat]

I was born and raised in the Short Strand. Left the area only a few years ago.

Bill, did you experience/witness any of the racism mentioned on this thread when you lived there?

 

[Bill Struth]

Bill, did you experience/witness any of the racism mentioned on this thread when you lived there?

I don't have any recollection of racism or racist attacks growing up and living in the Strand, sectarian rioting and attacks were a regular thing, but not racism as such. I'm not sure if you are aware of the geography of the Strand, but it's a very small area, almost completely encircled by the rest of Unionist east Belfast, hence the regular rioting etc.

 

[Caveat]

I don't have any recollection of racism or racist attacks growing up and living in the Strand, sectarian rioting and attacks were a regular thing, but not racism as such. I'm not sure if you are aware of the geography of the Strand, but it's a very small area, almost completely encircled by the rest of Unionist east Belfast, hence the regular rioting etc.

Yes I am aware of the geography - I grew up in NI, have many relatives there, including in Belfast and am fairly familiar with the city.

Just wondering when all this racism started, and where, I suppose.

 

[Bill Struth]

Yes I am aware of the geography - I grew up in NI, have many relatives there, including in Belfast and am fairly familiar with the city.

Just wondering when all this racism started, and where, I suppose.

It's been bubblin away for years now. It just has never got the coverage it deserves up until now. here is an attack on chinese men from 2000, nothing has been done even since then to stop it.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Sunny is right, these migrant workers for some reason mainly populate Protestant working class areas. Therefore the more appropriate comparison is not between NI Catholic & Protestant racism but between Belfast & Dublin racism.

Dublin has not had the same high profile racist outrages as recently seen in Belfast but I would feel there is just as much racism in Dublin as in Belfast.

 

[Caveat]

Well having lived in Dublin for 7 years or so I've certainly had my fair share of sectarianism anyway.

Experienced it in NI too I might add.

 

[RMCF]

Yes I am aware of the geography - I grew up in NI, have many relatives there, including in Belfast and am fairly familiar with the city.

Just wondering when all this racism started, and where, I suppose.

Probably when foreigners, or non-nationals, started to move in in big numbers.

NI always had a Chinese and Indian community, but you would rarely have seen a black face in NI all the years I Was growing up. And even in the last decade, RoI was light years ahead in terms of getting migrant workers. NI was probably the last part of IReland or the UK to see an influx of non-nationals.