the north of ireland has the second highest rate of femicide in all of europe. it was dubbed one of the most unsafe places to be a woman in western europe. 30 women and girls in the north have been victims of femicide since november 2020. none of the people who set belfast on fire last night have ever gotten violent about that or made threats against the perpetrators. they don't care that the family of the victim of the attack this week (stephen ogilvy) have begged for there to be calm and no riots. they don't care that the brother of natasha mcnally called them out as toxic. they're just taking any opportunity they can to be brazenly racist out in the open. they aren't acting out of ignorance, a lack of education, or empathy for victims; they're simply racist. they are adults making a choice to intimidate, destroy, and target marginalised people. they are endangering black and brown families, setting their homes on fire, and destroying buses and public facilities to terrorise communities. black and brown families with young children are seeking refuge in their white neighbours' houses because they're so terrified. what's happening in belfast is a pogrom by the same people who burn effigies of irish people every july. they don't give a shit about victims, they only want an excuse to surveil and threaten black and brown people, who had nothing to do with the horrific incident, and tar them all with the same brush and claim that they're the dangerous ones. call it what it is: RACISM.
