A new campaign for the introduction of hate crime legislation in Ireland has been launched by the European Network Against Racism Ireland (ENAR), of which Fórsa is a member.

The ‘love not hate’ initiative will petition the Government to introduce hate crime legislation, while encouraging people to report racist and other hate-fuelled attacks. Its petition has already gained over 8,000 signatures.

Ireland is currently one of the few European Union countries not to have any form of legislation to address hate crime, which is usually defined as a crime, typically involving violence, which is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.

Fórsa equality officer Billy Hannigan remarked on the timeliness of the initiative.

“It’s very appropriate in the current climate of increased racially-fuelled hate attacks in Ireland that this campaign is gaining momentum. The union is proud to support ‘love not hate’ and we hope members will not only sign the petition, but also publicise the campaign online and in their workplace,” he said.

Click HERE to sign the petition and HERE for more information on the campaign.