Recent
info.
Racial hatred spilling out of control, The Examiner - 2nd May 2000
by Seán McCárthaigh
ONE of the country's most violent racist attacks occurred just off from
O'Connell Street in Dublin. Although only a short distance from the city's
main shopping district, Parnell Street is a world away from the bright
shopfronts and facias of Dublin's largest thoroughfare. A large number of its
buildings look dilapidated, adding to the grim urban landscape of one of
Dublin's poorest areas.
Locals admit that racist tension in the area has grown in recent months due
to the presence of asylum seekers being housed around Parnell Street. The
north inner city area is now home to around 1,000 refugees from Nigeria,
which has led residents to dub the district "Little Africa."
Several immigrants have started up small businesses including grocery stores
and restaurants to cater for the ethnic community. However, any sign of their
prosperity is seen by some as directly responsible for their own poor
conditions.
Gardaí and people living in the area claim the problem was exacerbated a few
weeks ago following another incident between a Nigerian and some local people
which is still under investigation. While there have been a few assaults on
asylum seekers around the north inner city, Sunday night's incident was the
first serious racist attack on property. Certainly, there are signs that a
tinderbox situation is developing, with growing mistrust between the two
communities.
"People on both sides also don't trust either the gardaí or local
politicians. They think their involvement only makes such matters worse,"
said one local who has attempted to engage the two communities in dialogue.
"The real danger is what will happen when such a vacuum exists." The problem
has not been helped by unease among refugees about the lack of gardaí acting
on complaints of racist abuse. Several black people whom I spoke to claimed
they had experienced gardaí being physically and verbally abusive to them.
However, the Nigerian shop owner at the centre of the attack said he believed
the racist problem in the local community was confined to a small minority.
Kola Ojewale, 34, maintained that direct talks offered the best hope of
defusing any racist tension around the north inner city. "I hope that this
situation can be sorted if people talk to each other," he remarked.
Across the road in The Blue Lion, customers were not prepared to discuss the
events of the previous night. Many were unhappy that they had become the
focus of media attention following the weekend's attack on the Nigerian shop.
The pub has a colourful reputation and has seen several violent incidents in
the past. Locals explained that people in the area were nervous following an
IRA linked murder at another pub half a mile away on Sunday evening.
This reporter was jostled and pushed into the pub's toilet in an intimidating
manner. Although I did not witness the event, one customer said he saw
another man with a blade move in my direction. A barman who initially said he
had no problem with me speaking to customers eventually told me to leave the
premises.
One man willing to discuss events in the area was called a "scumbag" by other
people in the lounge and told he would not be welcome back on the premises.
"Go back to your niggers," shouted another customer as I left the pub.
Unfortunately, the indications from Parnell Street is that Sunday's attack
may not remain an isolated incident.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Leninist-International mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To change your options or unsubscribe go to:
http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
