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S. E. A. Statements

Over a thousand pounds raised for Polish family

Friday 31st May 2006

Over a thousand pounds was raised on Wed night (31st May) at the Love Music Hate Racism fundraising gig in Sandinos. All the proceeds are going to the Polish family whose home was destroyed in a vicious attack ten days ago. The packed fundraiser heard a wide range of musicians, including two young Polish singers, Roy Arbuckle, Peter O'Hanlon and Belfast's Tin Pot Operation.

Also at the fundraiser, people heard a report from Socialist Environmental Alliance about the message of support that its members had taken up in the Bond Street area over last weekend. The SEA's Goretti Horgan said "we have had a lot of people asking us what kind of reception we got on the doorstep. The response was what we would expect in any part of the city. It was overwhelmingly positive and the vast majority of people we spoke to were horrified by the attack.

"Of course, as in any part of the city, there was a handful who made excuses for the attack but nine out of ten of those we spoke to wanted to let the Polish family know that the attack was not in their name. Many made the point that there is hardly a family in this city that did not have someone who travelled to England or America for work and the migrant workers who are coming here now are just the same. Indeed, one of the murals in the Bond Street area points to the Ulster Scots people who went to America in search of a better life.

The SEA spokesperson continued "one thing that was different about the response to the message of support for the family, which we wouldn't get on the Cityside was the fear that some, especially women living on their own, expressed about signing something that others in the area might then see. Nonetheless, the main message that came through from our two evenings of knocking on doors in the area was that most of the residents were clearly against the attack, whatever the "reason" for it.

"There is a widely held view that there is more racism in Protestant areas than in Catholic ones. Certainly, it is the case that migrant workers are more likely to be living in Protestant areas because there tends to be less pressure on housing and more houses to let, for more reasonable rents, in Protestant working class areas. But we know that there is a minority of racists in every community and, where migrants move into Catholic areas, there are racist attacks there also.

"So, the SEA think it is important to get the message out there that racism is a poison that threatens the entire community, not just one section of it and that those who oppose it are as likely to come from a Protestant as a Catholic background."

Indeed, as Davy McAuley, one of the Love Music Hate Racism fundraiser organisers, points out the main raffle prize of a super hamper at the fundraiser in Sandinos on Wed night was won by a man from Bond Street, which just goes to prove the point.





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