Labour Youth National Chairperson, Ciarán Garrett, has today offered Labour Youth’s support to South Belfast Alliance Party MLA, Anna Lo, and condemned racism directed at the Assembly Member.

“Social media users will have witnessed the unacceptable racist abuse directed at Anna Lo following her comments on paramilitary flags and murals in Belfast.  I would like to firstly condemn out rightly all forms of racism present in Irish society.  We have moved on from the old days when we may not have been accustomed to people of different backgrounds living in Ireland, but in 2014 we should be proud to embrace the new cultures living and working across Ireland which have enriched our society.  That is the kind of society that Labour Youth strives to see realised.”

“I would also like to offer on behalf of Labour Youth, our support to Anna.  Anna is the only parliamentarian in Ireland who has Asian roots.  Her election to the Northern Irish Assembly in 2007 sent a strong signal from the electorate that we embrace people of different cultures.  Labour Youth commends the work that Anna has undertaken in making Belfast and indeed Ireland a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone to live and work in peace, and we offer our support in light of the recent abuse directed at her.”