Lillian Seenoi-Barr speaking at last year's Black Lives Matter protests.
Amy Cochrane
Today
An SDLP councillor who was in Dublin as rioting flared says there are parts of the city she does not feel safe walking in.
Lillian Seenoi Barr also warned that more needs to be done on both sides of the border to protect minority ethnic groups.
Ms Seenoi Barr sits on Derry and Strabane District Council and said that “the smell of burning tyres” welcomed her to Dublin city on Thursday evening.
The chaotic scenes - which involved far-right elements - saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged after a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside a school in the north inner city.
“We were on our way from a meeting in Belfast and on our way, we were being sent videos and voice notes of people saying to stay at home and not to go to the city centre,” she said.
“As soon as we arrived the smell of burning tyres is what welcomed us to the city on the way to our hotel.”
Ms Seenoi Barr said that gardai should have been more prepared and is “surprised” that they did not see this coming.
Speaking on Sunday Politics she pointed out that this kind of behaviour has been visible on the streets for some time.
“It is important to note that many of us saw this coming, there has been an organised group of people instigating fear and violence within our streets against immigrants living in Ireland for some time now and it is very unsettling,” she said.
“It has been very live on social media and visible on our streets where people seeking asylum are being harassed and intimidated by far-right movements.
“In the north we have seen them go to businesses owned by these people as well, it is no surprise for us.
“But we are surprised that the gardai said they were not prepared for it.”
When asked if she would feel safe walking the streets of Dublin tonight, for example, Ms Seenoi Barr said that many people are fearful not just in Dublin, but right across Ireland.
“People are aware there is a voice note circulating on social media calling for people to harm them and kill all the immigrants in this country,” she said.
“It is very unsettling, everyone is living in fear on edge right now.”
Ms Seenoi-Barr added that something needs done to tackle hate crimes across Ireland.
“We have to do something about this, we can’t keep ignoring it and pretending that this is some small minority. It is an organised terrorist group of people wanting to harm immigrants in this country, radicalising young people and encouraging them to harm others and those wanting to live a peaceful life in this country,” she said.
“We have to take action now.
"As politicians we don’t have a hate crime legislation to tackle this, in the north or south of Ireland, we do not have a strategy to protect minority ethnic people and now we need to step up now.”
An SDLP councillor who was in Dublin as rioting flared says there are parts of the city she does not feel safe walking in.
Lillian Seenoi Barr also warned that more needs to be done on both sides of the border to protect minority ethnic groups.
Ms Seenoi Barr sits on Derry and Strabane District Council and said that “the smell of burning tyres” welcomed her to Dublin city on Thursday evening.
The chaotic scenes - which involved far-right elements - saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged after a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside a school in the north inner city.
“We were on our way from a meeting in Belfast and on our way, we were being sent videos and voice notes of people saying to stay at home and not to go to the city centre,” she said.
“As soon as we arrived the smell of burning tyres is what welcomed us to the city on the way to our hotel.”
Ms Seenoi Barr said that gardai should have been more prepared and is “surprised” that they did not see this coming.
Speaking on Sunday Politics she pointed out that this kind of behaviour has been visible on the streets for some time.
“It is important to note that many of us saw this coming, there has been an organised group of people instigating fear and violence within our streets against immigrants living in Ireland for some time now and it is very unsettling,” she said.
“It has been very live on social media and visible on our streets where people seeking asylum are being harassed and intimidated by far-right movements.
“In the north we have seen them go to businesses owned by these people as well, it is no surprise for us.
“But we are surprised that the gardai said they were not prepared for it.”
When asked if she would feel safe walking the streets of Dublin tonight, for example, Ms Seenoi Barr said that many people are fearful not just in Dublin, but right across Ireland.
“People are aware there is a voice note circulating on social media calling for people to harm them and kill all the immigrants in this country,” she said.
“It is very unsettling, everyone is living in fear on edge right now.”
Ms Seenoi-Barr added that something needs done to tackle hate crimes across Ireland.
“We have to do something about this, we can’t keep ignoring it and pretending that this is some small minority. It is an organised terrorist group of people wanting to harm immigrants in this country, radicalising young people and encouraging them to harm others and those wanting to live a peaceful life in this country,” she said.
“We have to take action now.
"As politicians we don’t have a hate crime legislation to tackle this, in the north or south of Ireland, we do not have a strategy to protect minority ethnic people and now we need to step up now.”
*SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY
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