Letter: The demonisation of anti immigrant protests is the demonisation of the working class

The Irish Tricolour and the British Union Jack flew side by side at protests in Belfast last week. What unites the two is a desire to protect their communities, both Southport and Dublin have had knife attacks on children by attackers of immigrant background in the last year.

The media have largely rushed to label these protests as far right. This is not true. No ruling party either side of the border has ran on an agenda to increase immigration in the last twenty years. Indeed the Conservatives were elected on a promise to reduce immigration in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019. The Brexit vote was a decision to take back sovereignty on the issue of immigration from the EU. Despite this the Tories increased immigration legally to record levels while allowing record illegal immigration. Is this democracy? Is there not a right to protest against this?

The attack on immigrant shops is abhorrent. However these incidents should not be allowed to smear the entire protests. Communities, largely working class, are protesting because unreasonable levels of immigration have not allowed integration and it is their communities who suffer the consequences of that. Immigrants are not moving into the Malone road and Sandyford en masse. The demonisation of these protests as far right is also the demonisation of the working class.

Dominic Gallagher, Glenavy