Monthly Archives: June 2014

Once again – Belfast says ‘NO’ to racism!

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Belfast says 'No to Racism'

Belfast says ‘No to Racism’

Many thought that with the success of last week’s anti – racism rally, along with today’s appalling weather,  that there would be a low turn out. But once again Belfast has said ‘No to Racism’ in its thousands.

Apologies from the First Minister Peter Robinson and from Pastor McConnell for their remarks about Muslims have not quenched public outrage and a commitment to publically oppose racism and racist attacks.

Today’s march through Belfast city centre was organised jointly by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) and Amnesty International.

While the battle against racism and racist attacks needs to continue there is also a need to pressurise the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont on its Racial Equality Strategy which has been promised since 2007 but has yet to be published.

 

Photographs from today’s demonstration

http://www.flickr.com/photos/workerspartyni/sets/72157645047527921/

 

Racism – it hasn’t gone away!

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Unite Against Racism

As a follow up to last week’s very successful Anti-Racism rally a second demonstration has been arranged for this weekend.

This Saturday’s Unite Against Racism March has been organised by the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU) Amnesty International and the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) and takes place against a backdrop of on-going racism and racist attacks.

 

Public stand                                                                                                                          Racism is a very real and growing problem in Northern Ireland. Recent events are not a soap opera and they are not entertainment. They are real, they are dangerous and they have the support of far too many people. It is important that everyone opposed to racism takes a very public stand against it.

This is a matter for everyone in Northern Ireland to become involved in. There must be a robust public discussion about the type of society we want and the values its holds. But in the end the principles are very clear and very simple. Racism is wrong. It will always be wrong.

Details:                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Assemble from 1:30pm in Writers’ Square facing St. Anne’s Cathedral to march through central Belfast.

The organisers say the purpose of the march is to reassure ethnic and religious minorities in Northern Ireland that they are a welcome and integral part of the community and to call for effective and united political leadership against racism