Locals Only !

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-27280714

This brings to mind the League of Gentlemen. "Are you local ? This is a Local Shop...there is nothing for you here" !

[Svejk]

I'd be interested to know why they're there. The last time this happened, 'they' took 2 coach loads of immigrants from Dover to Belfast and re-settled them in one street. Perhaps they don't want to be seen as a 'dumping ground' for problems other people have created.

[ichkeria]

"Polish community worker Eva Grosman said: "Yet again Northern Ireland is gaining the reputation as the hate crime capital of Europe."

These are despicable attacks, and an embarrassment to Northern Ireland. However given what's going on elsewhere in Europe just now I think branding it "hate crime capital" is a bit much. There's a fair bit of competition for that award.

[mikey4444]

I would have thought that in Belfast they have enough problems with their community without having to divert their hate and bigotry on to immigrants.

Mind you, I question the Poles choice of a place to live in the first place...perhaps they were badly advised.

[ichkeria]

There are thousands of East Europeans living quite happily in Northern Ireland It only takes a few idiots to cause alarm and fear.

[Svejk]

mmm. its presumably a 'protestant' area. who thought it might be a good idea for Polish people to live there.

[ichkeria]

I think the mentality of these people is "foreign first, catholic second". If local Catholics moved in what would happen:-)

[mikey4444]

This reminds me of the Israeli exchange student at Queens University, who strays into a rough part of Belfast by mistake. He is rounded up by some men in balaclavas and roughly questioned.

" Are you a Catholic or a Proddy" says one of the men, pointing a gun at the students head "

The student is terrified and and answers " But I'm a Jew !"

"Are but are you a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew ? "

[baza]

took mum to a local church coffee morning, lady says to mum "Have you lived in the village very long?" Mum replied " 25 years"," oh" says the lady "you're not a local then".

[Cloverjo]

That reminds of a sign outside some newly built flats around here a couple of years ago:
"Flats to rent for LOCAL people" [their capitals]. At the time, it immediately brought to mind the shopkeepers in The League of Gentlemen.
I have no idea who the flat-leasers would class as local; probably not me as I've been here for not quite as long as baza's mum has lived in her village

[ichkeria]

"I spent quite a bit of time in NI in the seventies. I can assure you that not fitting in is a serious problem. but to answer one of the questions raised; believe me, being a (Catholic) pole in a prod area is a much healthier alternative to being a NI Catholic in a prod area. but it's still not good"

Very true.
However, before we get too carried away with ourselves on the other side of the Irish Sea, we had our local Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate in our garden for a chat the other week, and he was saying that a few of the locals in our area had refused to endorse the local council candidate as he was Asian ... Maybe one of the issues in Norn Iron is that people display their bigotry more overtly ...