‘Hate not welcome’

‘Hate not welcome’

18 June 2025

A DEMONSTRATION in support of Downpatrick’s migrant community has heard calls for people to unite against racism and bigotry.

Over 100 people attended a rally outside the Saint Patrick Centre on Saturday evening, which was organised to counter a protest against migrants coming into the town.

That protest failed to materlalise as only a handful of people – mostly teenagers – turned up.

To loud cheers, there was widespread condemnation of the attacks on immigrant communities in a number of towns across the province.

There were repeated cries of “Racists, Racists, Racists, Out, Out, Out” and “Hate is Not Welcome Here”.

The rally was attended by people from Downpatrick and surrounding towns and villages, who were joined by local politicians, trade union members and representatives from a number of organisations including United Against Racism, People Before Profit and pro-Palestine groups.

South Down SDLP MLA Colin McGrath praised local people for “standing against division and misinformation”.

He said they had sent a “clear message of love, unity, and community”.

He went on: “Let’s be clear. Migrants are not the ones responsible for a lack of housing, or a broken healthcare system.

“Walk into any hospital or housing development and you’ll see the truth. These services have been eroded by years of Tory austerity, and worsened by local ministerial decisions – or more often, inaction due to the collapse of our institutions.

“Violence against women and girls has been a stain on our society for too long, and regardless of where it comes from it must be challenged.

“Let us not blame those who come here seeking a better life and a decent job. We must also remember the many from our own area who have emigrated to places like Australia. How would we feel if our loved ones were treated the way some migrants have been treated in places like Ballymena?”

Mr. McGrath expresses his pride in his home town of Downpatrick, which he described as a “beacon of humanity in a cesspit of misinformation and hatred”.

He added: “I have always been, and remain, proud to be from Downpatrick, where the majority are welcoming, caring, and always ready to extend a hand of friendship. Saturday’s demonstration of community illustrated this most profoundly.”

Local Sinn Féin councillor Oonagh Hanlon said the community had come together “to show solidarity to those who have come to our town to make it their home”.

She said the focus should be on ending violence against women and girls, not racism.

“The community of Downpatrick are sending a clear message that racism will not be tolerated,” she continued.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with those who want to make Downpatrick their home to work in our hospital, run successful businesses providing employment and send their children to our schools.

“We must work together to build a society that is fair and equal for all.”

South Down Alliance MLA Andy McMurray said there was “no place for violence, racism, or intimidation of any kind”.

“Mindless destruction causes nothing, especially not when public resources are being burnt down or the police are being attack whilst doing an incredibly difficult job in very hard circumstances,” Mr McMurray remarked.

“To actually tackle this, we must call racism what it is. We need to see a stop to all violence.

“We stand in solidarity with our minority ethnic communities today, tomorrow and forever. We now need strong political leadership to see an end to violence against our own communities.”

Local Alliance councillors Cadogan Enright and David Lee-Surginor also attended the rally.

Cllr Enright said: ”As a typical Irish person, I have family all over the world and almost on every continent. I have cousins in the USA and Canada, nieces and nephews in different EU countries and my brothers and sisters are married to people from England, Africa and Holland.

“I remember starting work in Birmingham in the 1970’s, where at that time racism was almost normal. Boarding houses had signs saying ‘no blacks, no Irish and no dogs’. Real legislation in the UK against racism only started in 1976 and Irish people were some of the first to benefit from it.

“Racism was wrong then, and it is even more wrong now, given what we know about immigration and racism as Irish people.”

Cllr Lee Surginor said he was proud to stand alongside residents and politicians at the rally, “reinforcing the message that South Down is—and always will be—a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone”.

He added: “I call on everyone to work together, to help each other and to always remember that there more things that actually unite us than divide us.”

NIPSA representative Patrick Mulholland told the rally: “I am a Ballymena man and I want to tell you the racists do not speak for Ballymena.

“A small bunch of hoods attacked and burned people’s homes. The riots have nothing to do with women’s rights of children’s rights. It is about racism.”

He added: “What you have done tonight is brilliant. The far right and the racists are being driven away. We say enough is enough.”

Paul McCrory, from Unite Against Racism, condemned the scenes of violence and said people putting flags on their homes to prevent them being attacked was reminiscent of what happened in Nazi Germany.

“What happened in Ballymena and other towns were racist pogroms,” he continued.

“People were burned out of their homes. This is not the country we want. It is time for politicians to come together.

He added: “Everyone here tonight can be proud of coming out and standing with migrant communities against racism and bigotry.

Marc MacSeáin, from People Before Profit, said it had been an “amazing turnout”.

He added: “Racism does not solve the material problems in our society.”

Kelly O’Reilly, from Mourne for Palestine, said “thugs” were holding the country to ransom.

She added: “We want to say that these people do not speak for us. We want to say there is enough for everybody and that everyone is welcome.”

Newcastle man Sean O Baoill said Ireland was the “land of welcome”.

He continued: “Ireland has welcomed people to its shores for thousands of years. We all came from somewhere else. These people who protest against migrants should think about where they came from.”