Travellers & ASBO's

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Sunday June 12, 2005 21:57

by Mark Hewitt - ARN & SWP

southbelfast.arn at gmail dot com

Don't let them get away with this.

The text was compiled by members of the ARN Steering Committee:

The Housing Executive have just been involved in one of the most despicable acts against travellers imaginable. Yesterday (Friday 10 June), in an appalling move, a court slapped ASBOs on two members of the traveller community barring them from entering Larne town. The two travellers form part of a much bigger family and social group and therefore it is a bar on a whole group of travellers.

The only time they will be allowed back in the town is to attend court on the 1st July. The Magistrate, Mr Alcorn, stipulated that on the day they are due in court they must enter Larne on foot, having parked their vehicles well outside the town. The ASBO also bars them from a number of other places where they had previously parked outside of Larne and of doing a whole list of things considered to be offensive by Larne Council who applied for the Order, including swearing and urinating in public places. Larne Council, although appalling in applying for this Order, were acting on the advice of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

In fact the most disgusting aspect of the case was the involvement of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the whole thing. Every permanent halting site in the north is full. It is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to provide temporary halting sites so that travellers are not forced to camp "illegally" and children have access to schools, GPs, running water, electricity, sanitation etc.

When they were given this role in 1999 the NIHE said "As Northern Ireland's comprehensive housing authority the Executive looks forward with enthusiasm and confidence to taking on this new responsibility. This is in line with the Executive's response to the consultation document. The need for a co-ordinated approach is clear and the recommendations will ensure that the housing needs of the travelling community are effectively and sensitively met"

IN THE SIX YEARS SINCE THAT STATEMENT THEY HAVE PROVIDED THE GRAND TOTAL OF 0 HALTING SITES

Instead they have forced travellers to camp illegally in squalid conditions without proper sanitation and then helped obtain orders barring them from camping illegally and urinating in public places. Before the Order was imposed the Mayor of Larne said its purpose was to "get these people moving and keep them moving".

The Housing Executivewere present in court on Friday to hear the Magistrate impose the Order. Members of Belfast City Council were also in court, no doubt to see how it's done.

The Housing Executive should not be allowed to get away with it. The Order is an Interim Order until the full hearing on 1st July. It is important that pressure is put on the Housing Executive to withdraw endorsement for this racist Order before that date.

Anti Racists should make a really big effort to attend the protest. This is a very dangerous step along the path of criminalising the traveller way of life and making the already miserable conditions faced by travellers even worse.

ANTI TRAVELLER RACISM IS DESTROYING LIVES
Poor health status:
The mortality rate for Traveller children up to the age of 10 has been found to be 10 times that for the population as a whole. Overall the life expectancy of Travellers is around 20% lower than the general population. Only 10% of the Traveller population are over 40 years of age and only 1% are aged over 65.
Poor living conditions:
Travellers are eight times more likely to live in overcrowded conditions in comparison with the general population in Northern Ireland. Many still have extremely limited access to basic amenities such as running water, electricity and sanitation, including some of those living on serviced sites.
Long-term unemployment:
Only 11% are in paid employment of one form or another, whilst 70% of those who are economically active have had no paid work in the last ten years;
Poor levels of educational attainment:
The vast majority of Travellers have no formal qualifications (92% have no GSCEs or their equivalent or higher). There are high levels of non-attendance at secondary school, non-existent attendance at tertiary level and high levels of illiteracy;

PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-TRAVELLER RACISM BY NIHE
FRIDAY 17TH JUNE 2005 AT 4PM
OUTSIDE THE HOUSING EXECUTIVE BUILDING ON ADELAIDE STREET (BEHIND CITY HALL)

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Comments (10 of 10)

BTW - get on board the ARN bus to Edinburgh

by Mark Hewit - ARN & SWP

Sun Jun 12, 2005 22:12

The ARN bus leaves the City Hall at 9am on Friday 1st July and returns late Sunday night/Monday morning to the City Hall. Tickets for the bus cost £45. The money for tickets has to be paid by 21st
June. ARN fundraising sheets can be provided for you to raise sponsorship to go.
The ARN is booking accommodation space. It will just be sleeping space so bring a sleeping bag and a mat. Alternatively you can book your own accomodation in the City but it is going fast and is pricey.
We would expect the bus to fill up very quickly. This message is going out to people signed up to the ARN first but will be advertised publicly at the weekend. It would be advisable to book your tickets straight away.
If you are interested in going then email Barbara Muldoon on [email protected].
Further details at the ARN website

Make History.....

Fierce Socialiable These Travellers...

by toneore

Mon Jun 13, 2005 08:41

Pellets hit car as Travellers brawl

AMERICAN tourists had a lucky escape when their car was struck by pellets from a shotgun blast during a row between Travellers yesterday.

The trouble is believed to have started over a race involving horses and traps.

The tourists were on their way to the famous Rock of Cashel when they came across about 30 Travellers brawling on the main Dublin to Cork road at Horse and Jockey.

The rumpus ended when a shot was discharged from a shotgun, causing the protagonists to scurry to safety.

Pellets from the shotgun blast struck the car carrying the American tourists, shattering a window. No-one was injured. The occupants were taken to nearby Cashel Hospital where they were treated for shock.

That section of the N8 remained sealed off for a number of hours as gardai carried out a forensic examination and search of the area.

The row is understood to have involved traveller families from counties Limerick and Tipperary and was connected to a dispute over a horse and trap race.

No arrests were made although gardai are following a certain line of enquiry on the identity of those involved. A Garda spokesperson said they are treating the incident very seriously.

ARN seem to have been infiltrated ...

by proof reader

Mon Jun 13, 2005 13:18

The motto on the website runs "celebrating diversity ...".
However, if you read the small print under the picture of Blackrock College Old Boy Sir Robert Geldorf I think that you'll find it reads "celebrating racism" ......

Could be the work of infiltrator saboteurs .... or maybe the poster designer had a spliff to many ....

Shows the wisdom of investing in a reliable proof-reader .....

Oooppss!!!

Mon Jun 13, 2005 14:14

My mistake & well spotted

That's better

What about the McDonaghs?

by jeff

Tue Jun 14, 2005 17:54

Were they not halting their caravans outside, sorry, directly outside the front entrances of shops in N.Ireland?

I disagree w/ Toneore on many things but his point made in relation to the story he cut and pasted is very valid. Of all the minorety groups in this country, travelers are going to be the least appreciated.

Ask any sensible ( meaning;not bleeding heart liberal) person in Galway about tghe legacy the Wrads caused some years back before a number of their ilk got put away. I've no sympathy for them, and it is very likely that there is a sound reason for these two people geting an ASBO.

What about the Adairs?

by General I. Sation

Tue Jun 14, 2005 18:49

Remember Jonny Adair (Mad dog) - wasn't he part of the settled community? You know the leagcy he left - it seems the settled population deserve these ASBO's. etc etc

Ooo, good point

Tue Jun 14, 2005 19:41

Not, you gobdaw.Johnny Adair is in prison, there is no 'combat racism against Johnny Adair'.He doesn't need an ASBO. Shut up.

Catch up Jeff baby

by j

Tue Jun 14, 2005 19:50

i think you will find that Johny Nazi Adair has been at large for a while now...residing Bolton with his c18 buddies...occassional dawn visits to Belfast..
Its more than an asbo mad dog needs..

Sorry, ya goddang beech

Tue Jun 14, 2005 21:46

I sure as hell forgot. Anyway, what is your point about Adair in relation to travellers? The Wards, McDonaghs are as bad as Adair, they're just too thick to get it organised like Adair did.

In a perfect world, Adair and the troublesome travellers( not all of them, mind, thats racist, just the shitheads amongst them causing ruckus) would be castrated as well as ASBOed.Again, Toneore's example is just one of many. So f8ck em, they piss me off, I'm sure these two got an ASBO for the right reason. The articles piece, saying, 'ooo, it's not fair, they all stick togeter as a family' is a bit lame.

I mean...

Tue Jun 14, 2005 21:49

'The Housing Executive have just been involved in one of the most despicable acts against travellers imaginable. Yesterday (Friday 10 June), in an appalling move, a court slapped ASBOs on two members of the traveller community barring them from entering Larne town. The two travellers form part of a much bigger family and social group and therefore it is a bar on a whole group of travellers'.

Why did they get the ASBO? How is it a bar on a whole group of travellers?This article is biased.

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Comments (10 of 10)