Mastodawn

Michal Bryxí 1d ago

@astronomerritt People of Northern Ireland (and Belfast specifically) will always have a space in my heart as the most welcoming, kind and beautiful people I’ve ever met.

@MichalBryxi It really does bring me joy when visitors say things like this. Thank you so much, and I hope you can come back some day!

@eco_amandine 💛

Pete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫1d ago

@astronomerritt
It was similar in Glasgow. The fash get one chance to show up and cause trouble. Then, when people are alerted to their nonsense, the counter-demos absolutely swamp them with sheer numbers, diversity and joy, and they have to slink off behind a wall of cops after shouting a bit of racism and doing some posturing.

We outnumber them. By a lot. It always seems to be an unwelcome surprise on the day, because the media they steep themselves in won't ever mention that.

@petealexharris Yep. Every time. It’s always a small pathetic group of losers causing an outsize amount of trouble.

There was a very funny news clip from someone who showed up to an “anti-immigration protest” who thought that it must have been some sort of trick or scam because hardly anyone showed up…

Pete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫13h ago

@astronomerritt
So close to understanding that the "real" anti-immigration rhetoric is in fact both a trick and a scam. Hope they take the next step.

xtaldave 13h ago

@petealexharris @astronomerritt it ends up like a big game of racist whack-a-mole.

Dr. Doro (she/her)1d ago

@astronomerritt I also saw a lot of those good news, but maybe I am deeper in the antifa bubble than most people.
We unfortunately all have to deal with racist idiots, but it is so important to show them that they are a sad minority!

@ditsch42 I’m really glad you saw it! It seems like a mixed bag — some folks are telling me the rally did make their news, some folks heard it for the first time from me. I just think that the news has a duty to show racists *around the world* that they are loudly opposed. God knows decent people see enough depressing, disheartening news. Can we not depress the fascists too?

Medea Vanamonde 🏳️‍⚧️1d ago

@astronomerritt i heard about it already!

@MedeaVanamonde good!!!

Medea Vanamonde 🏳️‍⚧️9h ago

@astronomerritt i think it was my usual news guy I follow…or one or the two or 3 news ladies

George B 1d ago

Every time. The racists are handed such disproportionate representation on a silver platter

Mario Guerra 1d ago

@gbargoud @astronomerritt And that it's everywhere. They sell more. Ugh.

@gbargoud Right? And they watch the news and get to think they’re winning. It emboldens them. Meanwhile decent people watch the news and feel depressed and demoralised…

Amateur Human 1d ago

@astronomerritt it's okay, I'm sure they'll keep judging all of us by the quality of the people we send to parliament

@djstreethawk Ha. My MP wouldn’t be caught dead in Westminster. I live in West Belfast.

Nohaironheed 1d ago

@astronomerritt interestingly when reporting on the anti-racism march in Glasgow the BBC concentrated on the 'several dozen' far-right protestors who tried to disrupt the day, instead of the thousands of normal anti-racists who turned out peacfully in solidarity. They also protected the identity of Nazi scum, sorry, I mean 'far-right protester' 'performing a Nazi style salute'. 🙄 Fear mongering.
BBC News - Anti-racism rally disrupted by masked group in Glasgow
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yzerz5124o

https://mstdn.social/@samueljohnson/116759279086895506

SamuelJohnson 1d ago

@nohaironheed @astronomerritt I'm shocked, shocked. How uncharacteristic of the BBC.

Just kidding.

SamuelJohnson (@[email protected])

@[email protected] I haven't heard it but I've generally avoided all BBC news and politics output since 2017 to avoid Insufferable ignorance, about NI and Ireland especially. However, I did hear NI political leaders address the issue. https://mstdn.social/@samueljohnson/116724507745474121 To then see an interview with a loyalist hate monger James Bryson who cannot tolerate Irish culture or language prating about people w "alien ideologies and practices"... the irony is just off the scale.

Mastodon 🐘

@nohaironheed Yeah, that tracks. 🙄

(((Klefstadmyr)))🏳️‍🌈1d ago

@astronomerritt First thing I've heard of it, and now I'm a happier man.

@klefstadmyr good 😊

♿ La Pantera Roja 🏳️‍🌈1d ago

@astronomerritt This is why I hate mass media and think they should be banned everywhere.

In Argentina we have a similar situation. The entire world think of us as a bunch of racists, aligned with the USA, when if fact that's just some rich people from the city of Buenos Aires.

We have, every March 24th, a giant march against dictatorship (the Nunca Más march). It is seldom shown on TV abroad. Same goes with our protests against privatization, in favor of public education and health, for the disabled people, etc.

But what reaches the BBC, the Spiegel, and other news conglomerates overseas? A tiny minority, our Establishment, making racist jokes.

@beckermatic Thank you for sharing your point of view, and you have my solidarity. I make a point of never believing the impression mass media gives me of a country. After all, it makes mine out to be a backwards hate-filled shithole.

Janeishly 13h ago

@beckermatic @astronomerritt It's not what *reaches* the BBC (and presumably the others), it's what they choose to report. It's exactly the same reason they platformed that utter arsehole Nigel Farage, which led to Brexit, and why they still platform him. Because it's "great news". So yes, they should be banned everywhere.

Amateur Human 11h ago

@beckermatic @astronomerritt we feel your pain, it's pretty much the same everywhere

UK news won't even tell us the truth about our own current events

Chris aus Tü 🇪🇺1d ago

@astronomerritt I read about it in my German newspaper (very happy about it).

@muse_and_ponder excellent!! I’m genuinely glad there was some coverage. Northern Ireland almost never gets a fair deal in the media.

GhostOnTheHalfShell 23h ago

Democracy Now! Covered it thankfully

@GhostOnTheHalfShell good, I’m glad!

Yvonne Perkins 23h ago

@astronomerritt The Unite Against Racism news was reported by one of Australia's largest media outlets: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-14/thousands-rally-belfast-anti-racism-protest/106796036

Thousands rally in Belfast to condemn anti-immigrant rioting

The anti-racism rally came after nights of fiery violence in parts of Northern Ireland following the arrest of a 30-year-old man from Sudan on charges of attempted murder in a stabbing that left a man partly blind.

@perkinsy Well thank god for that! It escaped a lot of others. Northern Ireland gets enough of a bad rap in mass media so I’m pretty fucking exhausted at it happening AGAIN.

Disisdeguey🍉🔻PalestineAction🇵🇸16h ago

@astronomerritt Spanish here, and I knew about it but not in mass media, though.

@disisdeguey This seems to be common. People who make an effort to keep themselves updated will have heard, but the mass media outlets in their country remain silent, so normal people get the idea that racism is winning and lose heart. I hate it.

Disisdeguey🍉🔻PalestineAction🇵🇸13h ago

@astronomerritt Yes. They do the same here in Spain.

Supermoosie 15h ago

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-14/thousands-rally-belfast-anti-racism-protest/106796036?utm_source=mastodon

Made the TV here in Australia
Also on a commercial channel

Thousands rally in Belfast to condemn anti-immigrant rioting

@SuperMoosie Yeah, someone else showed me and I’m genuinely grateful some large media outlets did cover the rally! God knows the racists deserve to see some news that depresses them. A number of people found out about it from me…

Netzpolitik Baden-Württemberg 13h ago

@astronomerritt PUSH BACK / TAKE BACK / HUG RACISTS

Rob Ricci 13h ago

@astronomerritt fwiw this did make the news here

@ricci yeah, I’ve been mildly cheered up to learn that some places DID cover the rally! and also surprised because Northern Ireland doesn’t usually get fair coverage in global media 😛 but I do think it is important for decent folk around the world to know that they aren’t alone and people ARE standing up against this shit.

sarcoptus scabium 13h ago

@astronomerritt and that's genuine grass-roots community support, which is very heartening when it's opposed to a heavily bankrolled professional race-riot instigator getting flown in as part of a coordinated campaign.

@thegarbagebird Right? No billionaire backing, no co-ordinated fucking online hate campaigns, just a bunch of people and small orgs who don’t like racism in their city and want to shout about it together. Excellent point.

gemlog 12h ago

@astronomerritt
I think you've just discovered how the media works :-(

Steph (toothless version)12h ago

@gemlog I have lived in one of the most unfairly maligned countries in the Western world for most of my life. I am unfortunately excruciatingly aware of how the media works.

Dahmonium 12h ago

@astronomerritt While it really was heartwarming to see

Tuukka R 12h ago

This is the first I've heard of the racist riots.
A huge anti-racism rally was mentioned in the Finnish news article I read, though.

*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation

skittles 12h ago

@astronomerritt We had coverage of the counterprotests here (https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/proteste-belfast-rassismus-100.html ) and one of our public broadcasters just got SLAPPed* by Shmearon Mucus lackeys for saying he incited the riots.

OTOH our news initially downplayed terrorism and pogroms as „racist protests“ and a „reaction“ to a stabbing… 🙄

So, mixed signals here, but I can tell you all the people I know understand what’s being played here and are all very sympathetic with you.

1/2

Nach Krawallen in Belfast: Tausende Menschen setzen Zeichen gegen Hass

Tausende Menschen sind in Belfast gegen Rassismus und für Solidarität mit Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund auf die Straße gegangen. Hintergrund sind die gewalttätigen Krawalle nach einem Messerangriff eines Flüchtlings aus dem Sudan.

tagesschau.de

*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

skittles 12h ago

@astronomerritt It’s also not like anyone in Germany should point fingers. Despite our history the Nazi-Party is at 30% in polls while our government is speedrunning our own version of „Project 2025“*, i.e. openly disemboweling governmental institutions and handing billions to corporations and billionaires.

As I keep telling my friends from the UK & US when they start apologising for the state of their countries: No worries! We’re right behind you!

Project 2025 - Wikipedia