Irish police are investigating a series of anti-immigration signs erected in west Belfast as "hate incidents." The signs sprung up as Ireland has descended into civil unrest over the recent stabbing of multiple school children by an Algerian immigrant in Dublin.
One of the signs being investigated as a hate crime reads, "Irish Lives Matter." The phrase was written in graffiti on the wall of the Kennedy Centre on Falls Road, according to BBC.
Another sign under investigation was erected in the Tilgard Avenue area. It states that the community "will no longer accept the re-housing of illegal immigrants".
Gerry Carroll of People Before Profits took offense to the "Irish Lives Matter" sign and that there is "no place in our society for this kind of racist poison."
"We are under no illusions that 'Irish Lives Matter' is a racist slogan which is directly counterpoised to movements against the oppression faced by black people and other ethnic minorities," he said, according to the network.
Paul Maskey, a Sinn Fein MP, called the signs "disgraceful" and insisted that they had been "erected in an attempt to create fear and intimidate people."
"Political and community leaders must stand together to continue building a safe, welcoming and inclusive society for all," Maskey said, according to BBC.
Similar signs were also erected in south Belfast earlier this month.
Grainia Long, a chief housing executive, said that she does not believe these signs represent the "values of the local community" and asserted that "All our housing allocations will continue to be carried out in line with the rules of the common housing selection scheme."
An annual report on immigration and asylum in Ireland was published by the ESRI Tuesday, revealing that there had been a huge increase of immigrants from 2019 to 2022, and that, contrary to the Taoiseach's statements this past week, most are not in the country for work.
One of the signs being investigated as a hate crime reads, "Irish Lives Matter." The phrase was written in graffiti on the wall of the Kennedy Centre on Falls Road, according to BBC.
Another sign under investigation was erected in the Tilgard Avenue area. It states that the community "will no longer accept the re-housing of illegal immigrants".
Gerry Carroll of People Before Profits took offense to the "Irish Lives Matter" sign and that there is "no place in our society for this kind of racist poison."
"We are under no illusions that 'Irish Lives Matter' is a racist slogan which is directly counterpoised to movements against the oppression faced by black people and other ethnic minorities," he said, according to the network.
Paul Maskey, a Sinn Fein MP, called the signs "disgraceful" and insisted that they had been "erected in an attempt to create fear and intimidate people."
"Political and community leaders must stand together to continue building a safe, welcoming and inclusive society for all," Maskey said, according to BBC.
Similar signs were also erected in south Belfast earlier this month.
Grainia Long, a chief housing executive, said that she does not believe these signs represent the "values of the local community" and asserted that "All our housing allocations will continue to be carried out in line with the rules of the common housing selection scheme."
An annual report on immigration and asylum in Ireland was published by the ESRI Tuesday, revealing that there had been a huge increase of immigrants from 2019 to 2022, and that, contrary to the Taoiseach's statements this past week, most are not in the country for work.
