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Paramilitary signs 'stigmatise' west Belfast - former Lord Mayor

Rory O'Reilly
Reporter
BBC A sign on the side of a building saying: "Paramilitary gangs exploit hard-working local businesses." BBC
The billboards have been seen in Andersonstown as well as other areas of NI

A former Lord Mayor of Belfast has condemned posters in west Belfast that warn people of the dangers of paramilitary gangs, claiming the local community is being unfairly labelled.

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir believes the signs stigmatise the community in west Belfast.

The billboards have been seen in Andersonstown as well as other areas of the city, in parts of east Belfast.

They are part of a public awareness campaign called Ending the Harm which was launched last year by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC).

Justice Minister Naomi Long said she "fundamentally disagreed" with Mr Ó Muilleoir's assessment of the posters and that they were being put up across Northern Ireland.

The Department of Justice said the campaign is not about targeting any one community.

An official website says its wider aim is to ensure people are safe from paramilitary gangs and are supported to be more resilient against attempts to influence and control them.

The billboards feature slogans such as "paramilitary gangs exploit hard-working local businesses" and "paramilitaries control our communities with violence, intimidation and drug dealing".

'Don't stigmatise our community'

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir with a paramilitary sign in the background. He has white hair, wearing a blue jacket.
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir says the message the signs give to potential investors or people visiting the area

Mr Ó Muilleoir served as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2013-2014 and as a Sinn Féin member of the legislative assembly (MLA) for South Belfast from 2014-2017; he is also the publisher of the Belfast Media Group titles - including Andersonstown News.

He believes the signs paint an inaccurate picture of the Andersonstown area.

"This is a community with strong schools, strong sporting clubs, a really resilient community and the last thing you should say about it is that if you come here your business is going to be exploited or extorted.

He said the message the signs give to potential investors or people visiting the area is "that there is something wrong with this area, there's something wrong with these people, this is a dangerous area".

"Don't stigmatise our community, don't pretend you talk for us. We want to celebrate this community and not be denigrated," Mr Ó Muilleoir said.

'Spend money on tourism'

Donal Reilly with part of the Falls Road in the background. He has short dark hair, brown eyes, wearing a grey top and black apron.
Donal Reilly runs the café at An Cultúrlann on the Falls Road

Local businesses in west Belfast share the view that the billboards unfairly represent them.

Donal Reilly runs the café at An Cultúrlann on the Falls Road.

"I have been in business in west Belfast for close to five years and I have never had any experience of paramilitaries whatsoever. Speaking with other local businesses in the area as well, there's no evidence of that," Mr Reilly said.

"The money spent on this campaign should be spent on promoting west Belfast as a tourism destination. Thousands of people come up and down this road."

Posters do not 'demonise communities'

A sign saying: "Paramilitary gangs control our communities with violence, intimidation and drug dealing."

In a statement, the Justice Minister Naomi Long said the billboards "do not demonise communities".

"What they actually do is give a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people in our communities... this is not about targeting a specific community; the billboards feature right across Northern Ireland, in all communities."

PA Media Naomi Long during canvassing in east Belfast where she was her party's candidate in the Westminster electionPA Media
Naomi Long says the posters give a name to the many ways that paramilitaries exploit vulnerable people

Long added that "paramilitarism is a complex issue that requires a complex range of solutions".

"Public awareness campaigns are just one part of the approach, and they complement the broad range of interventions that are supported under the wider Programme."

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra, Naomi Long said: "I fundamentally disagree with Máirtín's assessment of the posters."

Long said that the billboards can be very powerful in terms for opening up conversations.

She added that the campaign had support from four political parties and other organisations like the victim's support, PSNI and the federation of small businesses.

"The lived reality of many businesses across Northern Ireland is that they are subjected to racketeering and that communities are subject to abuse of their women and children by paramilitaries... we have to be honest about these issues if we want to tackle them."

She said the campaign is not targeting west Belfast as the posters will be placed across Northern Ireland and that "west Belfast is no more immune than any other community to paramilitary harm."