Troubled times

Not 'The Troubles' that featured in the murals from Derry the other day.
But the continuing reports of violent far-right gatherings across the UK, often targeting places where refugees and asylum-seekers are thought to be staying. I keep thinking how terrifying this will be for people who have come here from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine...
We visited Richard's old friend J today, in Larne. She was due to spend yesterday in Belfast, with other women friends, celebrating the 70th birthday of one of the group. All plans fell apart when they found that there were no buses in and out of Belfast: the roads were closed because of a violent far-right gathering there.
So today's image is a reminder of how much opposition there is to the rise of racism and fascism that we're seeing at the moment. It's from a long mural facing the 'Factory' estate in Larne, a fairly old piece of work originally funded during the peace process after the Good Friday Agreement.  (You can see the larger section of which this is a part in the extra). GAWA is the Green and White Army: supporters of the Northern Irish football team.
As I write, Rotherham - where I was a community worker for some years,  only a few miles from Sheffield - is seeing tension and violence, kicked off by far-right supporters. I know how the South Asian families I used to work with there will be feeling, seeing this.
So....... I just hope that the coming-together and the rebuilding that's already been happening in Southport and in Sunderland will spread, and will help to see off the hatred and the bitterness.