Not even dead Travellers can escape racism
October 10th, 2015 is a day that will go down in history for being the worst loss an Irish Traveller community has ever faced. Ten people – of those a pregnant woman and five children – died when one of the houses of the Carrickmines halting site in Dublin caught fire and spread rapidly to other sections of the encampment.
Since the tragic events that took place on October 10th, the Irish Traveller community has endured much unnecessary hate from members of the settled community.
From being made to stay in a carpark, to opposition fom the locals. It’s a no win situation.
I want you to imagine, as hard as it is, that all of your family just died in a fire. Imagine the sympathy, the condolences, the cards and what have you being thrown at you from all corners. You seriously believe that people actually do care and genuinely feel the pain and suffering you’re going through.
Now then, imagine that the council got back to you telling you they can only house you in a parking lot. That the local residents go from suddenly being all sympathetic to not wanting you near them. To being refused entry into a bar the day of your family’s funeral. You can’t understand why this is happening, but then it hits you. The community don’t see you as one of them. Because of a label, you’ve become the equivalent of a leper. A plague. Something needing eradicated and washed out from the community like a bad stain.
This is the reality hitting Travellers in Ireland right now. Humans? Nah, not even close. Yeah, we’ll get the pity party out for a day and then remind you that you’re subhuman all because you like to wander. We care so much about your human rights that we’ll shove you into a concentration camp style site riddled with safety faults until it catches fire and we don’t know what to do with you.
Because lets face it, who wants to be a Traveller anyway?
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
yousharknotpass
