November 24th: Unite’s Ireland Region Black and Asian Ethnic Minorities (BAEM) Committee has issued the following statement on events in Dublin last yesterday:

The horrific knife attack on school children and the staff member in Dublin City Centre has shocked the entire country. Our thoughts, our sympathy and solidarity are with the victims of this attack and their families.

We are further shocked by the horrific scenes in the city centre later that day. Using the horrific stabbing incident and turning it into anti-migrant hate, a group of rioters have targeted public transport, various shops, and accommodation venues. They have burned public buses, a Luas train and cars. Chanting anti-immigrant slogans and claiming to protect the women and children of this nation against the “danger of migrants”, they have endangered the safety of people of Dublin.

We express our solidarity with the transport and all other public and retail workers who are affected by these far-right led attacks. We also express our solidarity with all migrants and minorities, who are fellow members of our society.

Ireland has a deep history of emigration and millions of people around the world proudly cherish their Irish heritage.

Ireland is a truly multi-cultural nation, and this nation has benefited from this rich diversity that contributed so much to this country. Our own Union is diverse and multi-cultural, and we celebrate and cherish this diversity. Far right hate and racism have no place in our communities, in our cities and our workplaces.

The next day, it will be the retail, public transport and council workers that must still go to work in fear and clean up the mess created by these hateful protests that have nothing to offer to the workers, women, and children of this nation.

Many of these services are provided by diverse work forces.

Last night the Rotunda advised patients not to travel to the hospital unless absolutely necessary.  The healthcare workers were fearful for their safety.  We have many migrant doctors and nurses caring for the people of this nation.

We saw some of the most diverse workforces keeping our society going during the Covid lockdown.

The horrible knife attack yesterday has nothing to do with migrants. We don’t know the details yet but using one man’s actions to spread racist lies and hate in our society is not acceptable.

We call on all sections of our society to stand in unity and solidarity and reject hate and all forms of racism.

What this nation needs is better economic and social conditions for all people. Better public services for our communities where nobody feels left out or feels vulnerable because of their gender, ethnicity or their background.

Trade unions have a proud history of building unity and solidarity against racism. We need to continue our efforts at these times of fear and anxiety. Unite BAEM Committee is calling for strengthening this unity and solidarity among the workers on this island.

Europe has seen the worst during the rise to power of the far right and fascism. The slogan “Never Again” is a commitment never to go back to those days. Thankfully, Ireland is still a shining example of a society that welcomes diversity and unity. As we saw in Palestine recently, people of Ireland have a proud history of standing against oppression and human rights violations happening elsewhere.

We wish a speedy recovery for those injured by the knife attack and express our solidarity with the victims of racism and hate.

Racism and hate divide our communities and working people.

Racism and hate do not build better public services or improve the lives of the people of this nation.

Our unity and solidarity are our hope for the future.