Adu Kyeremateng, a pensioner who lived in the Shankill area said he felt “threatened and I want to get out” after his home was paint bombed by anti-African racists. Northern Ireland police are treating the attack as a hate crime incident. Kyeremateng who is described as a peaceful man had no idea why he would be targeted for attack.
He said - “I can’t go on like that. I haven’t done anything to anybody and I don’t have conflict with anybody. I have a right to live in peace without being threatened by anybody so I’m going to see houses I could live in tomorrow. I just don’t want to risk it,”
The number of racist attacks in Northern Ireland are quite considerable. Earlier in 2014, Michael Abiona and his family were forced to give up their home after racist protesters turned up on his doorstep in the Knocknagoney area of East Belfast. Abiona who had previously been the victim of racists in an attack during 2011 said -
“This [earlier attack] also took place in East Belfast and it involved teenage boys throwing stones and bottles at me as I passed by in the street. They then chased me down the street carrying iron rods and threatened me.
“Only for a good neighbour who saw what was going on and came out to take me inside his house, and stand up to these youths I would have been badly beaten up or worse,” he said.
Peter Robinson, Northern Irelands first minister, defended the 2014 protestors claiming their confrontation with Abiona was not racist whilst the Northern Ireland Council For Ethnic Minorities (Nicem) disagreed insisting otherwise.
Nicem’s director, Patrick Yu, said - “What happened to Michael is a hate crime. In his own words it is ‘intimidation and discrimination’. Nicem welcome the fact that the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the housing executive are investigating the incident as ‘racial intimidation’, but we are saddened at the fact the first minister has not outright condemned the incident as such. The rule of law in affirming that this is a hate incident must be upheld.”
Toyin Agbetu of the Ligali Organisation said - “This is a terrible start for 2015, the increase in racist attacks on African families in Northern Ireland is an issue that must be addressed. The economic pressures and political problems in the lives of citizens are caused by politicians and capitalists - not Africans, pensioners and other people regarded as immigrants.”
A report published by NICEM found that there are now up to 3 race-hate incidents being reported to the police every day since the start of 2014.
External Links
African man in Belfast moves house after racist paint bomb attackNigerian family gives up new home in Belfast after racist protest
He said - “I can’t go on like that. I haven’t done anything to anybody and I don’t have conflict with anybody. I have a right to live in peace without being threatened by anybody so I’m going to see houses I could live in tomorrow. I just don’t want to risk it,”
The number of racist attacks in Northern Ireland are quite considerable. Earlier in 2014, Michael Abiona and his family were forced to give up their home after racist protesters turned up on his doorstep in the Knocknagoney area of East Belfast. Abiona who had previously been the victim of racists in an attack during 2011 said -
“This [earlier attack] also took place in East Belfast and it involved teenage boys throwing stones and bottles at me as I passed by in the street. They then chased me down the street carrying iron rods and threatened me.
“Only for a good neighbour who saw what was going on and came out to take me inside his house, and stand up to these youths I would have been badly beaten up or worse,” he said.
Peter Robinson, Northern Irelands first minister, defended the 2014 protestors claiming their confrontation with Abiona was not racist whilst the Northern Ireland Council For Ethnic Minorities (Nicem) disagreed insisting otherwise.
Over the past year Northern Ireland has become one of the worst spots for racist crimes and race hate-linked incidents in the UK. Photograph: Stephen Barnes/Demotix/Corbis
Racism - A terrible start to 2015
Nicem’s director, Patrick Yu, said - “What happened to Michael is a hate crime. In his own words it is ‘intimidation and discrimination’. Nicem welcome the fact that the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the housing executive are investigating the incident as ‘racial intimidation’, but we are saddened at the fact the first minister has not outright condemned the incident as such. The rule of law in affirming that this is a hate incident must be upheld.”Toyin Agbetu of the Ligali Organisation said - “This is a terrible start for 2015, the increase in racist attacks on African families in Northern Ireland is an issue that must be addressed. The economic pressures and political problems in the lives of citizens are caused by politicians and capitalists - not Africans, pensioners and other people regarded as immigrants.”
A report published by NICEM found that there are now up to 3 race-hate incidents being reported to the police every day since the start of 2014.
PSNI officers remove protest banners from the house in Knocknagoney, east Belfast. Photograph: Jonathan Porter/Presseye
External Links
African man in Belfast moves house after racist paint bomb attackNigerian family gives up new home in Belfast after racist protest
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Click here to speak out and share your perspective on this article.This is a terrible start for 2015, the increase in racist attacks in Northern Ireland must be addressed. The economic pressures in the lives of citizens are caused by politicians and capitalists - not Africans, pensioners and others regarded as immigrants
Toyin Agbetu, The Ligali Organisation
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