Authorities are currently looking into five accounts of racially abusive graffiti discovered on the surfaces of Antrim properties. Between Sunday and Monday, the town saw an alarming spread of swastika symbols and the marking of the extremist group, Combat 18. Amnesty International has voiced its alarm regarding these developments, interpreting it as a continuous strategy of racial harassment.
This follows earlier reports of numerous families vacating their residences due to racist confrontations. An officer from PSNI disclosed that an investigation is underway into the five separate reports lodged between 7th and 8th July, detailing the marking of racial slurs on various properties around Antrim. This investigation is proceeding under the status of racially charged hate crimes and the police are urging any witnesses or those with useful information to make contact.
The freshly appointed South Antrim MP, Robin Swann, has requested a meeting with the police to further discuss these happenings. He further articulated, “The fact that overnight, Combat 18 and swastika graffiti have become a sight in Antrim is deeply unsettling. Police have brought to light five different incidences of such hateful graffiti marking homes throughout Antrim. Perpetrators of these actions are clearly driven by a desire to instill fear and propagate hate, and our community in Antrim will not stand for such behaviour. Racially charged vandalism on any dwelling in Northern Ireland is an affront to our democracy.”. Swann is poised to have a discussion with PSNI about these attacks in greater detail.
According to Patrick Corrigan, the Northern Ireland representative for Amnesty International, the continuous bouts of racial intimidation happening in Antrim are quite frankly, horrific. He mentioned that like elsewhere in Northern Ireland, evidence in Antrim suggests that thuggish crews in disguise are responsible for racial attacks made on residences and community structures, and illicit paramilitary involvement shouldn’t be discarded. He was outraged that in 2024, tyrannous groups, rather than lawful organs, are dictating the demographics of residency areas in Northern Ireland.
He stated, “The overnight spate of neo-Nazi defacement of our town is yet another aggressive attempt to instil fear in the general populace. To put a stop to this, a firm response from the police is required, along with bold political will to not just reassure the victims of such atrocious acts, but also to hold accountable those behind them.
“To triumph over racism and sectarianism, we require a combination of verbal commitment and tangible action.” – PA