Racist attacks in Belfast

[Archie Mitchell]

Are you a Daily Mail reader Ziggy?

Good God no, I'm not a Daily Mail reader

What were you doing looking at the poll then?

[ziggysego]

Are you a Daily Mail reader Ziggy?

Good God no, I'm not a Daily Mail reader

What were you doing looking at the poll then?

Saw it on Twitter.

[Chrisowc]

Can someone open a poll....what's worse, twitter or the daily mail?

[ziggysego]

Can someone open a poll....what's worse, twitter or the daily mail?

BEBO

[slow corner back]

I heard a guy on from the housing executive yesterday on radio ulster who stated clearly that none of the romanians were in receipt of housing benefit or any other state benifit. It should not matter but the Romas are portrayed as parasites coming over to life off the state by people who like to dehumanise them before attacking them. The guy was very clear about the set up, they all lived in private rented accommadation and were self sufficient although obviously they were far from being well off.

[Maguire01]

Rantzen - NI 'addicted to hatred' 

Esther Rantzen was speaking on the BBC's Question Time programme
Television presenter Esther Rantzen has defended remarks about Northern Ireland people being "addicted to hatred".

She made the comments on the BBC's Question Time about a spate of attacks on Romanians in Belfast in recent days.

Ms Rantzen said Northern Ireland had offered the world "a gleam of hope" but "suddenly in that society there erupts this new racism".

"It's as if it gives them a sense of identity because they only know who they are if they know who they hate."

The attacks met with widespread condemnation throughout Northern Ireland.

Ms Rantzen said she had been suggesting that "there may be people who miss the old days, that violence has become addictive".

"Why do they feel uninhibited enough to turn racial prejudice into violence? You see a lot of prejudice in the rest of the UK, but why turn it into violence?

"Is violence something which is so fresh in people's memories that they remember it with affection?"

The former That's Life presenter last month announced she was considering standing for election in the seat of Luton South, in protest at revelations surrounding the expenses claims of the local Labour MP, Margaret Moran.

True of some people, but such a sweeping generalisation isn't much better than racism, is it?
Saw her on question time last night - she's just like a tabloid, big headlines and grand statements to appease the masses. Likely to be successful at the next elections then.

[Tony Baloney]

PS the document i found with more recent figures

http://www.conflictresearch.org.uk/cms/images/stories/New%20Migrants%20and%20Belfast.doc

By 2006 there where 395 filipinos officially registered as living in belfast


Also, though not really a scientific breakdown, during this period more than half of all national insurance number applications from immigrants was made in shaftsbury sq, south belfast.

from the document
"It is interesting to note that these figures for NINo applications reflects the earlier patterns of residence that were identified in the 2001 Census data, that the largest proportions of migrants are focused on the south and east of the city, with relatively smaller numbers associated with the north and west parts of Belfast. "

I don't have anything to point to regarding the number of Filipinos as it was a conversation I had with a community worker who indicated that figure I quoted.  AFAIK that research hasn't been published yet.  Doctors registrations would give a much more accurate picture as non-EU nationals have to apply to somewhere in England to get a national insurance number.  I think that Donagh's link indicates this.

I may be wrong, I have only done my sums very roughly from the figures that were in the pdf Donagh linked to but it seems that there are as many foreign nationals in Catholic and Protestant communities - that prompts me to ask the question again I asked earlier and didn't get an answer to.

Maybe it's because they are perceived as being Catholics that they are being attacked ?

No. All races, colours and creeds are subject to racism in Ireland and if you want to be specific, in south Belfast. Why do you keep trying to make this something it obviously isn't? Obviously a Catholic, black homosexual would be the mother lode but anyone different is a target for these ballbags.

I know people who lived in these areas who respectively were called "a speccy cnut" for having the temerity to wear glasses, "a hippy bawstard" for having hair more than an inch in length and one mate was called "a snabby cnut" for walking up the street from the shop whilst reading the back page of The Times.

Tony, who are 'these ballbags' ?

If I knew I'd tell the police.

[ifa fan]

Northern Ireland should organise a friendly with Romania as an act of friendship between the 2 countries.

[ziggysego]

Northern Ireland should organise a friendly with Romania as an act of friendship between the 2 countries.

Why?

[ifa fan]

Northern Ireland should organise a friendly with Romania as an act of friendship between the 2 countries.

Why?

to show we are not all combat 18 lovers, and are good people at heart and some of the money raised could go to projects involving foreigners in belfast.

It could also help unite foreigners and us.

[ziggysego]

Would Romania be a soccer country? If it isn't, there wouldn't be much to it.

[haranguerer]

think he has to be taking the piss here ziggy - the poland match didnt do much for race relations after all...

[Tony Baloney]

Would Romania be a soccer country? If it isn't, there wouldn't be much to it.

Did you watch Italia 90 or USA 94?

[haranguerer]

Was thinking that too - 'Hagi'-mania!!

[Minder]

Would Romania be a soccer country? If it isn't, there wouldn't be much to it.

Did you watch Italia 90 or USA 94?

Or France '98/Euro 2000 when they beat the Englanders (thanks Phil Neville)