NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston, has described a series of racist attacks in east Belfast, as “absolutely deplorable”.
“As a native of east Belfast, I find the latest attacks on homes and houses and the racist graffiti which has accompanied them particularly disgraceful and disturbing”, Mark observed. “The small minority of hate-mongers and extremists who are carrying out these crimes speak for absolutely nobody and they certainly do not represent the people of east Belfast, who, for the most part, have been very welcoming to growing immigrant communities in their part of the city.”
“The public should do its very best to provide any information which they think may help the police bring people to justice for these incidents. In turn the PSNI needs to make sure the perpetrators are prosecuted and the judiciary must send out a clear signal that racism will not be tolerated anywhere in Northern Ireland, by handing down harsh sentences for hate crime. The message has to go out loud and clear that no-one has exclusive ownership of any community in Northern Ireland and no-one has the right to say who can and cannot live in an area, based on religion, race or the colour of their skin. Sectarian hatred has disfigured our society for too many years and new hatreds cannot be allowed to flourish unchallenged.”