Loyalist racism

There is ongoing loyalist violence against ethnic minorities in the north of Ireland:

Increasing violence against Africans and Asians in Northern Ireland has forced the government to draft a new Race Relations Policy which has been put out for public consultation until 31March 2005.

The Irish media have recently carried reports of an orchestrated plan involving loyalist paramilitaries to get ethnic minorities out of Belfast, who have been linked with the National Front.

A group calling itself the White Nationalist party have been distributing leaflets in several areas whilst the British National Party has said it will be fielding candidates in the next council elections.

Police reports in Northern Ireland indicate a 500% increase in race attacks since 1999 with both estate agents and private landlords being intimidated and threatened not to let their premises to Asian and African tenants.

Estate agent William Faulkner had their premises petrol bombed last year and in south Belfast racist graffiti such as “keep the streets white” and “whites only” have appeared in public places.