Racism is on the rise. Our movement will rise, higher and stronger.
Within UAR Belfast we are taking some time to absorb these last few weeks' events and the PSNI statistics on the steep rise of racist hate crimes in NI released today.
We will focus on building a cross-community response to hate. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, in light of the sickening rise of racist hate crimes and incidents, we want to comment on two things that speak directly to the conditions in which we live:
1. The establishment has learned no lessons from the Ballymena riots. After the racist pogroms last year, and the dehuminising effigy in Moygashel, now we have a vile and, frankly, embarrassingly stupid mural in Newtownabbey. Once again we are forced to watch dehuminising and degrading imagery on full display. Once again the establishment is doing nothing. We have all said it: far-right extremists continue to wield the same tools against communities: dehuminising people and strupping of their dignity and personhood.
2. Those in power have once again allowed extremism to flourish on account of their complacency. The ONIV group in Coleraine, led by people with a known history of criminality, organised a rally where fascists and white-supremacists were allowed to speak with impunity. Known-extremists from Belfast propped this event. Disinformation, myths, conspiracy theories and hostile narratives were aplenty and continue to be shared on the ONIV page. Any elected representative, any civil servant, anyone in a position of working for everyone in the community, should refuse to give such hate gatherings any credence or legitimacy. Instead of condemnation, ONIV got a meeting with a high ranking official in Coleraine council.
This is just a snippet of the racism that has surrounded us. Are we really surprised that hate crimes are on the rise? Are we seeing decisive action to protect our communities from racism, dgrading treatment and violence?
No. We are seeing the opposite.
But we, the overwhelming majority of people in NI, who have rejected, resisted and outnumbered the far right AGAIN AND AGAIN, will not allow this complacency and violence to continue.
The summer of 2026 shoul
Thank you @qubstar for running the Belfast Marathon and raising funds for community groups, including for UAR! We appreciate your support and admire your running skills!
Folks, the link to the STAR fundraising page is still up and you can donate until the end of the week, check out bio for the link.
Everyone out this Saturday, it will be up to us the people to march against gender based violence and demand urgent action to end misogyny and institutional complacency!
Support the people of Coleraine and our trade unions by joining the anti-racism rally on Saturday 4 April at 2pm! We demand decent housing for everyone. There must be no space for hatred, division, racism, Islamophobia and the scapegoating of migrants anywhere on this island!
Our friends in Student Action for Refugees at QUB are kindly raising funds for Anaka Women's Collective, Rainbow Refugees NI and for UAR Belfast by running in the Belfast Marathon on 3rd May! We are very grateful (and impressed by their running prowess) and we hope you will donate to their page (link in our bio). On our end, this will help us a great deal to fund a much awaited Diversity Carnival and for an anti-racism conference that we have hopes to be able to organise.
UNITED AGAINST RACISM STATEMENT ON MAGHERAFELT HATE CRIME
United Against Racism unequivocally condemns the attack on Castledawson Rd. This is a cowardly and absolutely appalling attempt to intimidate and terrorise individuals within their own community. It deserves unreserved condemnation. United Against Racism calls on all political and community representatives in Mid Ulster to show leadership, stand with the victims, and make it absolutely clear that such hatred will never be tolerated.
We know from the overwhelming support often shown by local people that these hateful actions do not represent the majority in Magherafelt or the wider Mid Ulster community, and Mid Ulster will continue to be a welcoming place to all, and stand against hatred like this.
Devadted by the news. Deepest condolences to the family and friends of Naomi, and to everyone who loved her. She inspired so many activists, truth seekers and fighters for a more just future. Belfast lost a shining star, but her legacy will live forever. Rest in power, Naomi.
Communities across NI are abhorred by the killing of Amy Doherty. We are still reeling from Ellie Flanagan' killing. We are learning painful details about the killing of Natalie McNally, as the trial for her murder comes to an end.
United Against Racism Belfast send our deepest condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of the 30 women killed in NI since 2020. Violence against women and girls has reached endemic levels in NI. There are no words to express the devastation that the loss of these women has left for their loved ones. We are thinking in particular of the young children left without their mothers.
What is no surprise to anyone is the DEAFENING SILENCE BY THE FAR-RIGHT on these horrible killings and on the toxic culture that continuously endangers women in their presumed safe places.
Where are the self-proclaimed 'defenders of women and children'? Are they condemning the killings of mothers that leave children bereaved and vulnerable? No.
Where are the 'concerned parents and residents' pages? Are they condemning killers in their communities that look and sound like them? No.
Where are the self-styled 'citizen journalists'? Are they using their platforms to condemn misogyny, sexism and violence? No.
Far-right extremists continue to do what they do best. They continue spreading fake news about refugees and migrants. They continue their petty squabbles for followers and donations. They continue to target people of colour and migrant people in their vitriol.
In the face of the undeniable fact that the overwhelming majority of women killed in NI were killed by men in their intimate circle, and that these men were white and 'local', the far-right can do nothing but demonstrate, yet again, their toxic hypocrisy.
The far-right across these island, with their selective outrage and silence when events don't fit their narrative, exacerbate the pandemic of violence against women and girls.
Our fight against racism is also a fight for the lives, safety and rights of women, girls, children, and all other groups left vulnerable by the far-right aggression.
Never, ever believe far-right extremists who claim that they want to unite both sides of the community against the perils of 'uncontrolled immigration'. You can see clearly for yourselves what they truly are about.
This kind of attitude harkens back to the white supremacy of old. Of black people on the back of buses and Aryans in Nazi Germany.
In fact, the same so-called citizen journalist visited and interviewed Nazi youth and the Aryan Front and is sharing their opinions. He claims he is simply bringing awareness to their views. Perhaps he should try harder because he sounds like a coward afraid to be a big brave boy about his own views to us 🤷🏽
We aren't so shy. We are honest and firm in our own beliefs: nazis belong in the dustbin of history. There is no place for white supremacy or any other kind of racism or bigotry in 2026.
If you're the kind of bottom-feeder who shares Nazi views for likes and clout, you're the traitor. A traitor to the people who saw the consequences of the nazis, the millions dead and anti-semitism, and said never again.
Those people banded together in communities in every corner of the world to stand up to Nazi-ism and challenged the far-right cretins of their day on the streets - genuinely uniting communities against the perils they faced.
Today we stand on the shoulders of such giants, challenging these racists wherever the raise their ugly heads across Ireland.
We see you Mark Sinclair for what you're really about. You're not fooling anyone 🤥.
Dr Azadeh Sobout is absolutely right in demanding justice, peace and freedom from colonial oppression for her country and her fellow Iranians. We stand by Azadeh and want to share her powerful message from her International Women's Day rally speech: 'freedom doesn't fall from the skies in the form of deadly bombs'. Read the full article, link is on our bio.
Eid Mubarak to our families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and fellow Belfast residents. We wish you a blessed and peaceful Ramadan.
#weareALLbelfast
