Press Release3200 join Racist Irish Facebook group- update- Facebook close down group Racism against Roma people in Ireland came to public and international attention last year after families were forced to move from South Belfast. Unfortunately racism continues to be an issue in Ireland. Numerous reports have been sent to Facebook because an Irish group breaches Facebook’s own policy on racism. On January 21st a group called ”I Hate Romanian Gypsies” was set up on on Facebook. While we have reported the group to Facebook and have notified the Garda Intercultural Unit, we think it is also worthwhile bringing this to public attention for it shows clearly that there can be no room for complacency in regard to racism in Ireland. The Creator uses the name Aaron Prestley and has a picture of two girls as the profile picture. The description of the site reads as follows: ”No I do not need my windscreen washed with fairy liquid and urine, served in a greasy 7UP bottle. No, I’m not giving you my parking meter money. No, pinching your baby so it crys will not make me give you money. No I don’t approve of ending a days begging by jumping into an S Class Mercedes. I have been advised to change the name of this group to “I Hate Gypsies” to remove any raciest connotations. The Romanian part of the title, tho descriptive is not fair as their home/nest is in Bulgaria. This is not anything to do with impoverished nations trying to survive, or people begging to feed their family. Anyone who actually did any reading on gypsies would know THIS IS OGRANISED CRIME. Not racial slurs.”Not only is her spelling terrible,but her ignorance is astounding as she tries to say that Romanian people ”Nest” in Bulgaria.It is alarming over 3,200 fans have been recruited in less than a month. This Facebook page is little more than a forum for mindless racist comments that are based on little more than incoherence and prejudice. People logging on to the page use it a forum for racist hatred against other minorities including blacks, travellers and immigrants in general. We would like to point your attention out to this ”I Hate Romanian Gypsies” Group and report it to Facebook to be shut down- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=nf&gid=264542235177 in compliance with Facebook’s own policy on racism. The Garda Intercultural Unit have also been informed. On the street, people using this kind of abuse could be prosecuted under Section 6 of the Public Order Act for ‘Threatening, Insulting and Behavioural abuse’. Here is a brief transcript from the many comments who identify themselves by their profile linked to their comments:’naker basterards cant stand them they shud be locked in a room together an gassed do us all a favour smelly poxs ha’ ‘ f***in smelly c***s live down the road from me an have an s class merc and fit about 17 of them in it together, robbin horrible greasy sleazy rotten b******s the whole lot of them, even the kids are horrible looking. F*** OFF BACK TO UR OWN COUNTRY!!!’ ‘Dirty smelly c***s. . Mouth full of gold and still begging the smell bags. . Put them back in the container and boot them back home. . Really hate them c***’s’ ‘dirtbags. I hate the cunts, ya see hitler wasn’t all bad” It’s not racist when we are talking about a different species”never mind burning fossil fuels stick dem in de oven of the ESB in town solving 2 problems at once”dirty smelly gypsies get them out of ireland on a boat and blow it up with semtex:):):)’ Issued by Garrett Mullan (Co-ordinator Show Racism the Red Card) For further comment: contact Garrett at 086 3927650Article of interest:POLICE PROBE ANTI-SEMITIC FACEBOOK POSTS (uk)4/2/2010- Detectives are investigating claims that anti-Semitic remarks were posted on an internet page set up by a student from east London. More than 500 members joined a group – created on the social networking site Facebook – which boasted of attacks on the Jewish community in Ilford, east London, it was reported. One of the messages posted branded Jewish people as “dirty, filthy scumbags”. Another described a “fight” with a Jewish woman in a shop because she was “looking at me”, the Jewish News said. The newspaper said the Facebook group was created by a student at Loxford School of Science and Technology, in Ilford. A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council, the local education authority, said the pupil had been disciplined. “A school in the borough was contacted with information about an anti-Semitic Facebook group. They immediately reported this to Facebook and the police and the group was closed down on the same day. Students do not have access to Facebook from school computer terminals. The student concerned has been dealt with and the school has taken disciplinary action. There is an ongoing police investigation so we are unable to comment further.” A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers received an allegation that “anti-Semitic material” had been published on a social networking site on January 29. He said inquiries were continuing. A Facebook spokeswoman said the group breached the site’s policy. “We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others,” she said. “Groups that violate our policies, such as those which threaten hate or violence, will be removed by Facebook. We encourage users to report groups they feel may be in violation of our policies.”© The Press Association http://www.pressassociation.co.uk/
