Just listened to the BBC Radio Ulster interview with the Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland, Emma Little-Pengelly. I think it was a good response as she was condemning violence, but also acknowledging the problem and catalyst (a lack of social housing) and started talking about how she’ll try and work to create more social housing so people aren’t displaced by migration, etc. I think this was a common sense approach instead of just simply encouraging violence or declaring war on the rioters, which I feel like would just make things worse.
It is true, we should expand social housing. I think everyone can agree with that.
“The” catalyst is massively oversimplifying. I approve of the policy she’s attaching to this, but it seems something like a disingenuous rhetorical trick.
There are no excuses for racist violence.
You’re right, there are no excuses.
However, Northern Ireland is complicated, and paramilitaries very much hold power. There is a chance I believe that they are encouraging the rioting in order to get more social housing. There have been signs in those areas for years saying “THIS AREA NEEDS MORE SOCIAL HOUSING!”