The SDLP (Social Democratic Labour Party) has slammed a Facebook Group which targets rose sellers from the Roma community in Belfast.According to South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt many of the the racist comments left on the page are by students from the University of Ulster and Queens University, who make up some of the 11,000 members.
Mr McDevitt said: “ We must have zero tolerance for racism in Ireland, North and South.”The Facebook group has recruited thousands of members in a matter of days, proving to be a most popular subject to comment on between students in the area who say they are “hassled” by rose sellers on nights out.
Mr McDevitt had a similar Facebook group shut down last year after he blogged about it on the Sluggerotoole.com website.
Mr McDevitt added that: “What is worrying about these online groups is that so many young people seem not to realise they are being racist. That it has become acceptable to treat members of minority communities in such a racist way is a terrible indictment of us all.”
Mr McDevitt has brought the matter to the attention of the PSNI Hate Crime Unit.
Over 100 members of the Roma community in Belfast were forced to flee their homes in the city following violent attacks last June.
insideireland
