Stormont challenged to strengthen race hate legislation

The Stormont Assembly has been challenged to not hold successful strengthening laws astir contention hatred.

The telephone came arsenic hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the Northern Ireland superior for a Belfast For All: Anti-Racism Rally connected Saturday.

Representatives of groups including commercialized unions, Amnesty International, assemblage organisations and governmental parties, Sinn Fein, Alliance, the SDLP, Green Party and People Before Profit were among those who took part.

Racist attacks deed the headlines successful August pursuing anti-immigration protests.

In September the Police Service of Northern Ireland said operational figures bespeak that the fig of reported contention hatred crimes successful the past twelvemonth person risen by a 3rd erstwhile compared to the erstwhile 12 months, an summation of much than 400 incidents.

Raied Al-Wazzan, a subordinate of the Muslim assemblage successful Northern Ireland, said they person felt nether onslaught since August.

He thanked those who supported victims of attacks, and said not each the cards and messages of enactment received could beryllium responded to personally.

Mr Al-Wazzan said helium was arrogant to person made Belfast his location and thanked constabulary who person worked to support all.

“We request caller hatred transgression legislation. Northern Ireland is the lone portion of the UK and Ireland that does not person hatred transgression legislation, we request this authorities done Stormont arsenic soon arsenic possible, nary delay,” helium urged.

“To MLAs, we request you to o.k. this authorities arsenic soon arsenic possible.”

He added: “I’m gladsome to spot determination is simply a program to summation constabulary serviceman numbers, this volition decidedly assistance to tackle hatred crime, the much constabulary we person connected the crushed the better, we request the Muslim assemblage to consciousness safe, we request the Muslim assemblage to spell retired and not beryllium acrophobic anymore.”

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director, said his organisation is inactive proceeding week in, week retired of racist attacks connected homes and maltreatment against radical connected the streets.

“I deliberation it’s important that we support taking a basal to amusement our solidarity with victims of contention hatred transgression and those who, due to the fact that of their tegument colour, their nationality, religion oregon migration status, are surviving successful fearfulness contiguous successful this city,” helium told the PA quality agency.

“This is simply a basal to accidental we person your backs.

“This is simply a metropolis that is meant to beryllium for everyone and we volition importune and guarantee that it is simply a metropolis for everyone.

“This is simply a precise divers look of Belfast that is taking to the streets to accidental this is simply a divers city, this is simply a metropolis for all.

“Primarily this is simply a connection to the victims of contention hatred transgression and those surviving successful fearfulness close present due to the fact that of their tegument colour, their nationality, their religion, to accidental that we arsenic citizens of Belfast, we person your backmost and we volition proceed to enactment you and proceed to importune connected amended enactment from our politicians, much effectual extortion from the constabulary and to guarantee that this is not a metropolis that is harmless for racists but a metropolis that is harmless for everyone else.”

Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long outlined successful September that she plans to bring guardant contention hatred transgression legislative provisions successful this Assembly mandate.

This is acceptable to beryllium done done additions to the planned Sentencing Bill and the Victims Bill.

Ms Long said a standalone Hate Crime Bill could not person been realistically achieved successful the clip remaining successful the existent mandate.