North Belfast News 'fear and hate' article

Date: 16th Sept '01

Name: Red Pol

Fear and hate

Statistics taken from a North Belfast
Partnership-sponsored study of residents
living on either side of the
Glenbryn/Ardoyne interface carried out by
University of Ulster lecturer Pete Shirlow
last year.
The majority of people living in Ardoyne
and Glenbryn undertake avoidance
strategies which are influenced by fear.

Approximately a quarter of the people
surveyed in each study area have moved
to their present homes either due to
insecurity or intimidation whilst living in
other areas

The number of people who did, and
presently do, work in mixed workplaces
has fallen from 75 per cent to 33 per cent.

Sixty-eight per cent of nationalists
questioned in Ardoyne compared to 37.5
per cent of loyalists questioned in
Glenbryn stated that their job-seeking
activities are limited by fear

The Glenbryn community is more
conscious of living in an interfaced area
than is the case in Ardoyne.
In comparison, the community in Ardoyne
feels more besieged in relation to the
wider geography of Belfast.

In terms of mobility, nationalists in
Ardoyne rarely use the public bus
services due to the threat of attack or
being recognised whilst travelling through
Protestant/Unionist areas.

Forty-five percent of nationalists
questioned in Ardoyne compared to 34.1
per cent from Glenbryn have been
intimidated within the workplace due to
their religious affiliation

Only one in five of Glenbryn residents
who were questioned shop within the
Ardoyne area.
The majority of those who do are elderly
and do not own cars.
In terms of weekly shopping, people from
both areas generally avail of shopping
centres in either Catholic/Nationalist or
Protestant/Unionist areas.

In sum, 76 per cent of nationalists
questioned in Ardoyne compared to 81.1
per cent in Glenbryn would not shop in
places dominated by the other
religious/ethnic group.
Although, two thirds of those questioned
socialise in mixed places they do so less
frequently than socialising in places
dominated by the same ethno-religious
group.

Women are more fearful than men when
walking through their local area at night.
The majority of people are afraid of
walking through their community at night
during the marching season

Only 17 per cent of men and 3.8 per cent
of women would walk through an area
dominated by the other religion/ethnic
group at night.
In Glenbryn 60 per cent of those
questioned, compared to 41 per cent
from Ardoyne, feel threatened when
walking through their respective
communities at night.

Only 11.4 per cent of of nationalists
questioned in Ardoyne compared to 11.4
per cent in Glenbryn would travel through
an area dominated by the other religion.

Nationalists in Ardoyne are three times
more likely to have been physically
attacked outside of their community.
Whereas, Glenbryn residents are twice
as likely to have been physically attacked
within their own community.
One in 10 nationalists in Ardoyne
compared to one in 100 in Upper Ardoyne
have been victims of physical attack by
the security forces.

Journalist: John Martin

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