Workers Solidarity Movement

Over a 1500 people gathered at the Garden of Remembrance Saturday afternoon in a Rally organised and called by the Socialist party to remember the 15 year old, Toyosi Shitta-Bey who was stabbed to death in Tyrrelstown on good Friday. Today was an important day for people to stand up and show that there are people who say racism and thuggery have no place in the Ireland that we want. It was a day to remember a young inspirational life – this boys death may make us face up to the racism that exists in our society so that we deal with it, and extinguish it.

A rally will taken place in Dublin, Saturday 10th April at 14.00 in memory of of Toyosi Shittabey (15) who was stabbed in an attack at Tyrrelstown, north-west Dublin on Good Friday (April 2nd 2010).  It will be followed by a march to the Dail and has been called by the Toyosi Memorial Committee.

Up until 2006 all WSM articles published after 1990 were hosted as part of the Struggle collection on another server.  We hope to eventually move all the articles stored there to this site but in the meantime these subject indices take you to the pages still stored on that site.

The DUP’S Sammy Wilson has recently accused anti-racism groups of exaggerating the scale of racism to access public funding. This statement comes not long after more than 100 Romanians were forced to flee their homes in South Belfast due to racist intimidation and attacks.



The recent attacks in South Belfast in which over a 100 Romanian families were forced to flee the North should serve as a wake up to everyone. Racism is not a new phenomum in the North, nor is it confined to one section of the community or social class, or cannot be simply reduced to economic factors. The rise of the far right in countries such as Hungary and Italy and the breakthrough of the British National Party (BNP) in the recent EU elections have only compounded fears and anxiety.

The recent racist attacks in Northern Ireland against migrant workers are an indictment of the status-quo which thrives on blaming minorities for the problems inherent in capitalism. It is the political class and sections of the tabloid press who constantly provide the ammunition for racist attacks.

At the time of going to press, only 14 of the 115 Romanians targeted in racist attacks in Belfast earlier this month have decided to remain in the country. The rest are returning home. The 22 families had sought refuge in a church hall and then temporary accommodation in vacant student houses after they were driven out of their homes in a sustained and co-coordinated week-long hate campaign.

WORKING PEOPLE UNITED AGAINST RACISM
Belfast City Hall,
Thursday 2 July 2009,
1pm

Mark McGregor should check his facts before embarking on baseless comments without any shred of evidence or truth, before deciding to demonise those who attended the rally as a crime and stayed with the Romanian families, who actually requested help and assistance.

You will have seen the brutal attacks and subsequent forced removal of ethnic minorities from their homes in the South Belfast area.