GREAT TRUST CONDEMNS THE RACIST ATTACK ON ROMANIANS IN BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND.
The Global Race Equality Action Trust – GREAT Trust, condemns what appears to be an organised racist attack by disgruntled persons on members of the Romanian community in Northern Ireland as uncalled for, cowardly and unacceptable.
Koku Adomdza, a spokesperson for the GREAT Trust, commented that “it is completely unacceptable that law-abiding members of any community, in this case the Romanian minority community in Belfast should be targeted and aggressively abused in this manner, including children and women. The turmoil suffered by the acts of bigotry is set to haunt the victims for a long time to come. Xenophobia is a nasty experience and should be condemned in no uncertain terms wherever it occurs. It is equally important that the activities of an insignificant spiteful group of people are not allowed to cloud the disposition of progressive people in Northern Ireland.
“As a think tank that seeks new approaches to resolving race inequality and human rights problems, we recommend a root and branch investigation into the shameful, criminal and needless attacks and that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. At the outset of the recession, we highlighted the need for race relations to be prioritised because the worsening global economic conditions including record unemployment are likely to exacerbate discontent and be exploited by extremists for their parochial interests with vulnerable minorities as soft targets. It is an injustice that those whose actions caused the recession are beyond the reach of the racist attackers, while vulnerable Romanians are being victimised. We appeal to the authorities and civil society leaders to adopt a joined-up approach to deal with the culprits, stabilise the situation in defence and protection of the equality and fundamental human rights of the Romanian community in Northern Ireland”.
More than 100 Romanians have been moved to emergency accommodation in Belfast as police faced criticism over their response to the racist attacks which forced the families to flee.
The UK's Romanian General Consul is expected to hold talks with a minister in the Northern Ireland Executive on Thursday in a bid to end the plight of the Romanians.
The Romanians, who spent Tuesday night in a church hall, fled after a racist gang - one allegedly brandishing a gun - targeted homes in the university area of the city.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined Stormont ministers in condemning the attacks.
While police will guard the new dwellings around the clock, officers were forced to deny claims they had been slow to answer 999 calls in recent days as tensions grew.
Though the accommodation has been provided for a week, with the possibility of alternative lodgings thereafter, many of the families have vowed to leave Northern Ireland for good.
"We want to go home because right now we are not safe here," said Maria Fechete, a Romanian mother of two. "We want to go back home to Romania, everybody right now does. I want to go home because I have here two kids and I want my kids to be safe."
The families spent Wednesday at an indoor tennis centre near the River Lagan before being bussed to the temporary accommodation. Area commander superintendent Chris Noble defended the handling of the situation and dampened speculation that loyalist paramilitaries might have been behind the attacks.
"The information that I have at the moment is that there is no co-ordination, there is no authorisation by any other groups," he said. "It's a number of individuals who have taken some form of umbrage for whatever reason to people living in the community and are contributing to the community."
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Notes to Editors
ABOUT THE GLOBAL RACE EQUALITY ACTION TRUST – GREAT TRUST
The Global Race Equality Action Trust – GREAT Trust is a progressive think and doing tank that advocates for new platforms, schools of thought, approaches and solutions to race equality and human rights issues. While we salute the selfless contributions of genuine race equality and human rights champions from all walks of life, who often operate in difficult circumstances, we consider the untold human misery that engulfs the majority citizens of the world as an indictment of the inadequacies of the status quo that can no longer hold. Resistance to progressive change, fear of power and wealth-sharing, lack of vision and responsible leadership have blighted the necessary transformation required to consolidate the sacrifices and gains of yesteryears, prevent the necessary advancement of the race equality and human rights agenda, and above all threaten to roll back the successes of the past.
The GREAT Trust signals and communicates the fierce urgency of time and hopes to traverse this inertia. We call on all people over the world to stand up and fight for their fundamental human rights, reject the old approaches that have so abysmally failed to withstand the test of time and cowered in the phase of adversity, organise together on a new platform to effect progressive change and make the world a better, fairer, more equitable place.
