DUAL language street signs which had been vandalised on the Lisburn Road this week have been swiftly replaced with new signs.
Police said the signs in Cranmore Gardens were damaged with the words Gairdíní an Chrainn Mhóir painted over some time between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday evening. Police are treating the vandalism as a sectarian hate crime
Sinn Féin Balmoral councillor Geraldine McAteer said the latest vandalism of Irish street signage in the city was “disappointing".
"It was clear this community wanted those signs to be put up and to remain intact and the fact that anybody has decided to deface them is ignorant of that," she said.
It is 2024. The Good Friday Agreement was over 25 years ago - a new era for equality & resolute action promised to promote the Irish language. Some want to ruin & destroy that. But they will fail.
Dual-language; Irish & English side by side. Equal. Progressive. @belfastcc 👇 https://t.co/lSZuApRCdu— Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh 🅾️ (@ptierney89) April 18, 2024
“I think it's important to say that the signs are Belfast City Council property and that defacing this property is criminal damage for which people can be prosecuted.
“Try as the vandals may, those signs will remain where they stand."
Councillor McAteer thanked Belfast City Council for their rapid response in replacing the damaged signs.
SDLP councillor Paul Doherty noted the costs of these crimes.
“Every time these signs are attacked, they must be replaced by the council at a significant cost.
“To those who are carrying out these attacks I would ask them to stop and think about what they are doing, no matter how many times these signs are vandalised they will continue to be replaced and they are only hurting their own city and community.
“These continued attacks on dual-language signage in our city are a source of great frustration for councillors, the Irish language community and the residents who gave their clear view that they wanted to see these signs installed in their area.”
The replacement sign
Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Mulholland said: “We are investigating this as a sectarian hate crime and are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious, or anyone with CCTV or other footage that could assist with enquiries, to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 458 of 18/04/24."
A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
