Ireland fights back

Looks like our friends from a cross the waters are fighting back ...




There is no evidence to suggest a series of attacks on Romanian families in south Belfast was orchestrated, police have said.
PSNI Chief Inspector Robert Murdie was speaking after youths attacked an anti-racist demonstration on Monday.
Residents were protesting on the Lisburn Road over a spate of attacks on immigrant families living in the area.
A group of youths leaving a bar were heckled by demonstrators and retaliated with bottles and Nazi salutes.
No-one was injured in the incident.
Police were called to the scene, but the crowds dispersed peacefully and the area now appears to be quiet.
Police have said they are investigating racist incidents and criminal damage in the area over the last four days.
Chief Inspector Murdie said the number of patrols had been increased.
"It is very difficult to try to be in an area 24 hours a day to try to stop these attacks happening," he said.
"The local community are probably aware of who these individuals are."
He appealed to local people to give police names and identify those carrying out the attacks.
Protest organiser Paddy Meehan said there had been continual attacks from Wednesday.
"People are absolutely livid about what has been happening here and it has to stop," he said.
"This protest has sent a clear message that people do not want this going on in their area and that this has to stop right now."
Demonstrators had shouted "Nazis off our streets" as the youths passed and the youths gave Nazi salutes.

A gang smashed windows at this house in south Belfast
The Alliance Party's Anna Lo said that the trouble at the rally was a "disgrace" but that those throwing bottles were "a small minority".
"We are all here to show support for the migrant workers who have been attacked and have been hounded out from one street to another street," she said.
Earlier, two houses inhabited by a Romanian family were targeted in a racist attack.
A gang smashed windows and terrorised pregnant women and children in attacks on houses on Belgravia and Wellesley avenues.
It was claimed that the people who attacked the house were shouting Combat 18 slogans and a letter containing text from Hitler's Mein Kampf was pushed through the letterbox of one of the properties.
A number of migrant families subsequently decided to leave their homes.



Racist gang attack family's home


A gang smashed windows at this house in south Belfast
A Romanian family has been targeted in a series of racist attacks in south Belfast.
A gang smashed windows and terrorised pregnant women and children in attacks on two houses on Belgravia and Wellesley avenues.
Police have said they are investigating racist incidents and criminal damage in both areas over the last four days.
A spokeswoman said a crowd gathered a number of times and windows were broken.
There are no reports of injuries and no arrests have been made.
SDLP councillor Niall Kelly said it was a "sickening" incident.
"It is becoming more and more apparent that these attacks are more than just isolated incidents, but are part of an orchestrated attempt to force people from the area," he said.
Alliance assembly member Anna Lo said they were contemptible "acts of intimidation and hate".
"These thugs need to realise that it is people who carry out racist hate crimes who are not welcome in our society," she said.
"People who can help police catch the perpetrators of these attacks must contact them immediately."
'Ignored'
People living in the area are organising a protest against the attacks on the Lisburn Road on Monday evening.
One neighbour told BBC News that the attacks have been ongoing for several nights.
"There are children and pregnant women living in these houses," he said.
"My partner is Indian and we've also been targeted - our house has been bricked.
"The police were here 40 minutes last night before they spoke to the people who were actually attacked and they were only with them for five minutes.
"More needs to be done. The whole thing has been been ignored to date."
The man said anybody he had spoken to locally had been "appalled by what's been going on".
"There are also a lot of people, who aren't white, who are understandably frightened," he added.
Combat 18
It has been claimed that up to 20 people gathered outside the properties which were attacked.
It is also alleged that those involved shouted Combat 18 slogans and a letter containing text from Hitler's Mein Kampf was pushed through the letterbox of one of the properties.
There have been racial tensions in the area since trouble erupted at a World Cup qualifier between Northern Ireland and Poland at Windsor Park in March.
A number of migrant families subsequently decided to leave their homes.


Romanians flee homes after attack

Natasha Sayee
BBC News


A Romanian man helps to move belongings
A five-day-old girl is among 115 Romanian people being put up in a church hall overnight after fleeing their homes in south Belfast.
They said they left their homes in the Lisburn Road area after suffering racist attacks for almost a week.
The church offered to help after about 20 families tried to take refuge in a house at Wellesley Avenue.
Church officers said the Romanians may stay as long as they need to and police are patrolling the area.
'Threatened verbally'
The families said they were tired and frightened but that the help of the church had shown them a positive side to the people of Belfast.
Jolena Flett, Racial Harassment Adviser for the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, said they had been threatened verbally and then three properties were attacked on the same day.
"There has been an issue about the families feeling unsafe in the properties they were attacked in. What we are trying to do is provide them with alternative accommodation," she said.
Malcolm Morgan, pastor at the church, said they were happy to help.
"It's a sad indictment of our society, but hopefully we can show them a different side to Northern Ireland and a caring side of Northern Ireland," he said