Fiona McCarthy Workers Party Representative calls on political parties to take the lead in calling out Racist Attacks and threats against Ethnic Minorities.

Ms McCarthy commenting on the latest figures showing that racist attacks and threats have increased across Northern Ireland said our elected politicians must take the lead in stopping these hate crimes. The Executive and the Assembly must introduce the promised Hate Crimes Legislation without further delay Racially motivated violence would now seem to be taking place daily with too few arrests, and sometimes little outcry from community, civic and political leaders. She added it is not good enough to condemn these crimes on a case by case basis. We must as a society take a zero tolerance approach to violence against those who are different in how they worship, colour, gender or other forms of discrimination.

The Workers Party has been calling for Hate crimes legislation to be introduced, as has many other organisations. There can be no justification for the delay as the Assembly has passed “very little legislation in the current mandate.”We are long past the point for promises of action “it is deeds that count” we have sadly reached a point in our communities where some extreme right wing groups are talking about the crusades and saying “ it is kill or be killed”. They are whipping up racial tensions and advocating violence with this language and scapegoating ethnic minorities for all the social and economic conditions that exist in our society.

The Workers Party believes it is time these individuals were called out by local community and political leaders no more making excuses for bigotry and hatred, no more turning a blind eye to paramilitaries who use children as young as 13 years old to paint racist graffiti on homes and businesses. Children are not “born with hatred they are taught to hate” we as a society should be ashamed by our failure to stand up to those who espouse all forms of hatred and division.