Anti-Racism World Cup launched in Belfast
antrim |
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news report 
Tuesday June 16, 2009 22:50
by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin - ARWC
antiracismworldcup at yahoo dot ie
The 3rd annual Anti-Racism World Cup was launched in west Belfast today, with a host of participants set to make it the best tournament yet.
The World Cup will kick-off on July 31 and continue until August 2 and is timed to coincide with the opening of Féile an Phobail, the West Belfast Festival.
Among the countries that will be represented at this year’s World Cup are: Ghana, Italy, Germany, the Congo, Palestine, Poland, China, the Philippines, Lebanon, England, Scotland, Portugal, Kurdistan, the Basque Country, Catalonia and, of course, Ireland.
Community groups, schools, anti-racism activists, individuals and World Cup participants from across Belfast and further afield today gathered at Donegal Celtic Football Club’s Suffolk Road ground to launch the event.
The tournament was established by local activists in conjunction with international friends and comrades in 2007 and launched by the late Bob Doyle, veteran of the Spanish Civil War. Since then the tournament has gone from strength to strength, with more countries being represented by teams and more organisations throwing their support behind the World Cup and its progressive ethos.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4good stuff, best of luck with it. it falls at an appropriate time...
fair play. soemthing the racists can be envious of once again....culture.
I don’t think the racists against the Roma will mind, there does not appear to me to be any Roma people attending or participating, and nothing in this article gives any indication to me as to whether they were even invited to participate or attend.
Racism and sectarianism are rampant in Belfast. I have found it to be an intolerant and divisive city in the extreme, despite all the expensive t.v. advertisements displaying Belfast people with no tradition or culture (do such Belfast people exist?) doing nothing more than shopping and having the craic, and only welcoming any foreigner amadán enough to buy them a drink (that last bit could be true of a few, I suppose).
I recall my close encounter with Belfast intolerance in modern times, when I was declared a ‘Fenian Bitch’ by a man glaring at me from across a street - this declaration was bizarrely meant as a very ‘grave’ insult to me. I have great respect for the inspiring Fenians, but I was shocked by this sudden attack of backwardness in broad daylight given the fact that: I am not old enough to be a genuine member of the Fenians (otherwise, I would be entered in the ‘Guinness Book of Records‘) - as the much esteemed historic Fenians have not been recruiting for some time! It is, surely, all too embarrassing to witness such blatant ignorance and primitive sectarianism displayed openly on a street in modern times.
Racist/sectarian attacks do absolutely nothing to enhance this island’s reputation worldwide, but leaves an ugly stain on the places where these attacks occur/and are permitted to occur, and brand all who express no outrage, as both racist and backward.
Ádh mór oraibh/Best of luck to all who are participating in the ‘Anti-Racist World Cup’.
Sláinte chugaibh!
thhere was a good protest rally in belfast today.
and a full report on www.swp.ie
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