The racist attacks in Ballykellly, following the horrific murder of children in Southport last Monday has resulted in widespread sympathy for the families directly affected and these affected communities,
said Paddy Mackel, chair of NIC-ICTU.
A more sinister reaction has come from bad-faith actors in politics and social media who have spread misinformation about the murders and have participated in violent attacks on Muslims and the police trying to protect the community.
Let us be clear that the trade union movement stands with the families of Monday’s attacks and against the subsequent assaults on police and emergency services. We also stand with all vulnerable citizens of any background attacked or threatened by racist and Islamophobic thugs, such as the families targeted and threatened with racist graffiti in Ballykelly on Wednesday night. We urge all political parties and civic leaders to make clear their unapologetic opposition to all attacks of this nature, including the messengers of racism, islamophobia and sectarianism
said Mr Mackel
ICTU President Justin McCamphill added
We endorse the assertion of our friends in the TUC’s North-West region that ‘Southport and our communities do not need to meet violence with further violence. Whipping up hate and fear is not acceptable. As trade unions in the region, we will continue to work with our members in workplaces across Southport and beyond, to provide practical support and solidarity and defeat the narrative of hate’.
ICTU represents over 800,000 workers in trade unions across the island of Ireland. The playbook being spread around the UK this week is the same as the lies and fearmongering after a similar attack on children in Dublin last November. The message from trade unionists then is the same today – we stand with all victims of hate crime; we support our public servants who defend the vulnerable and we have zero tolerance for divisive misinformation or attempts to spark violence.
We at ICTU will also continue to work with all vulnerable and marginalised groups across the community, provide training and support for any workplace and ensure that the virus of racism is expunged from our offices, our factories, our hospitals and our streets.
