An anti-racism march is scheduled in Waterford today, in reaction to an incident in the city last Saturday, where three Roma families were driven out of their home by an angry mob.
About 200 people gathered near a property in Manor Street, kicked in a door, and the downstairs windows. Gardai were called in, and the residents were evacuated. One man was arrested over the incident but was released without charge.
The mob suspected the Roma families to be responsible for a string of crimes in the area.
But today, Sinn Fein senator for Waterford David Cullinane has called for the march to be cancelled, since two peaceful nights have passed without protest, and he claims it would be ‘counterproductive’ to bring people out on the street.
Cullinane called for the march’s organizers, a group called ‘Waterford Against Racism’, to call off the event.