Protests

Out leafleting recently with the leaflet posted on the Cedar Lounge recently, including to the apartments where the refugee centre has been put in. The apartments are on a single complex with commercial and residential buildings and little or no separation between the two. 

Difficult not to be angry at the way the residents of that complex were treated there with no consultation on the change of use of the commercial buildings, which may be used by the state for years to come. It has been left to local representatives, elected and otherwise, to try to deal with the concerns of those residents. And it has been condescending and disdainful of the state to effectively ignore those concerns or pretend they don’t exist. That’s just a lack of responsibility on the part of the state. 

Difficult not to be angry at the abuse the refugees have been subjected to this last few months from a small group, some of whom come from outside the community, some from inside. This situation isn’t of their making and they bear no responsibility for it. The fact the abuse is intermittent is no consolation. But with discussions with statutory or other authorities ruled out by the protestors there’s no prospect of that having any impact. The government isn’t going to pull back from this site since to do so would mean it couldn’t maintain such centres anywhere. 

The result is a vacuum where the protests continue because, for some behind them, there’s no real wish for a solution and the refugees are subjected to abuse due to that.   

The damage this has inflicted on communities is beyond calculation. One can rightly point to exaggerated fears, but those fears have a power and a reach and fundamental to dispelling them is an engagement that has simply not been sen by the state. Many of us will have seen activists of long-standing in various communities subject to dogs’ abuse for simply trying to get communities to get involved more usefully on these issues. But again – why was this left to them? 

That there’s now a pattern of events emerging rapidly is all too obvious. There’s attacks on homeless workers which are the product of pure xenophobia. Then there’s protests and threats made against politicians local and national who dare to push back even mildly against the rhetoric of those protesting against the refugees.   There’s political meetings that have been disrupted.       There’s suspected arson at sites which some on social media have claimed will be used for refugees.  

Impossible to dismiss the following as hyperbole. 

Politicians have raised fears that the “very dangerous” anti-refugee sentiment being whipped up by far-right elements will lead to people being seriously hurt or killed.

The Government has been urged to do more to tackle the problem, including setting up a body similar to the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), which was in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, to co-ordinate the response to the refugee crisis.

That thought has struck that sentiments are running so high, so uncontrolled, that sooner rather than later something even more appalling than the events listed above is going to happen. It’s been remarkable to see after two months of this how slowly the reality of what has been taking place has impacted upon the media commentariat, or worse – how some in it have been arguing some tired lines about the need to tighten up the immigration system when at this point we are way beyond that. Only a week or two ago, despite all else, this was largely ignored by that commentariat.

Remarkable too to see how ill prepared the state was and how neglectful in terms of preparing well in advance before this situation reached this point.

Communication at a minimum might have taken the heat out of this. But it has required more, much more. And it continues to do so.