The crude anti-immigration posters which appeared in the Newtownabbey area represent a blatant threat to a vulnerable group of people and need to be regarded with the utmost seriousness by the authorities.
As we reported yesterday, the posters, which seem to have been produced with a considerable degree of professionalism, were placed on lampposts in and around the loyalist Rathcoole estate over recent days.
They were accompanied by a sinister graphic of a pair of eyes, and carried the crude message; “Take notice – anyone facilitating the settlement of Muslims and illegals in our areas will be held responsible. We are watching.”
Other signs included the statements “Stop the illegal immigrants” and “We need to protect our children”, and alarmingly were on display close to the scene of racist attacks on Asian-owned business and properties earlier this summer.
The upsurge in hate crimes, which also involved prolonged street disorder across Belfast, was largely fuelled by false claims circulating on social media, and was countered by well attended anti-racist public demonstrations and a concerted range of arrests by the police.
The initial PSNI response to the Rathcoole posters was much lower key, saying the material would be reviewed and that “an investigation will commence where there are offences made”.
It also said that officers would “engage with the local community and representatives in the area, alongside our partner agencies, in relation to the matter, to find a joint solution”.
It should have been abundantly clear that the Rathcoole posters were as obvious a case of racist intimidation as could be imagined and the PSNI’s confirmation yesterday that officers had intervened to take them down was fully justified.
A spokesman said that while discussions with partner agencies had been ongoing, the “length of time they had been in situ was a significant concern for us”.
There will be sympathy for the views expressed yesterday by Alexis Ekwueme, who works closely with migrants in Belfast, and told the BBC those who experience hate crimes often believe it is “a waste of their time” reporting the incidents to police.
PSNI figures released earlier this month confirmed that reported race hate crimes in the last 12 months were running at their highest level since official records began 20 years ago.
While a senior officer insisted yesterday his colleagues did not underestimate the impact of hate crimes, the police comments on the posters failed to send out the required clear message.
As Ms Ekwueme said, victims are seeking fewer words and more action from the PSNI.
