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| Polish regret over match trouble | |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Groups representing Polish people in Northern Ireland have said they regret the trouble at last month's World Cup qualifier in Belfast. | |
| There was trouble before and after the fixture, damaging community relations in the south of the city. | There was trouble before and after the fixture, damaging community relations in the south of the city. |
| The Polish Community Forum of Northern Ireland criticised the "intolerable behaviour" of so-called Polish fans. | The Polish Community Forum of Northern Ireland criticised the "intolerable behaviour" of so-called Polish fans. |
| Maciek Bator of the Polish Association of Northern Ireland said they wanted to rebuild "good relations". | Maciek Bator of the Polish Association of Northern Ireland said they wanted to rebuild "good relations". |
| After the match several Polish families in Northern Ireland were attacked or intimidated, mainly in the loyalist Village area of south Belfast. | After the match several Polish families in Northern Ireland were attacked or intimidated, mainly in the loyalist Village area of south Belfast. |
| Mr Bator said about 40 people were forced to leave the Village area because of the intimidation, but that most still wanted to live and work in Northern Ireland. | Mr Bator said about 40 people were forced to leave the Village area because of the intimidation, but that most still wanted to live and work in Northern Ireland. |
| Ashamed | Ashamed |
| Since the trouble there have been intense efforts to rebuild relations with the community. | Since the trouble there have been intense efforts to rebuild relations with the community. |
| "We felt we had to tell communities in Northern Ireland that we were ashamed by this violence and want to rebuild relations," he said. | "We felt we had to tell communities in Northern Ireland that we were ashamed by this violence and want to rebuild relations," he said. |
| The forum, whose groups also come from towns such as Newry, Londonderry and Portadown where large numbers of Poles are living, represents about 27,000 Polish people living in Northern Ireland. | The forum, whose groups also come from towns such as Newry, Londonderry and Portadown where large numbers of Poles are living, represents about 27,000 Polish people living in Northern Ireland. |
| "As has been repeatedly indicated, as Polish immigrants living in Northern Ireland we disassociate ourselves in every respect from the group of so-called supporters who came to Belfast not for the football match but deliberately to bring about rioting," the forum said in its statement. | "As has been repeatedly indicated, as Polish immigrants living in Northern Ireland we disassociate ourselves in every respect from the group of so-called supporters who came to Belfast not for the football match but deliberately to bring about rioting," the forum said in its statement. |
| There are tens of thousands of Polish people living and working in Northern Ireland, drawn in during the boom years when work was easier to find. | There are tens of thousands of Polish people living and working in Northern Ireland, drawn in during the boom years when work was easier to find. |
| Mr Bator said that after the football violence "a few" Poles had decided to leave, but said trouble finding employment had been a large factor in this and the trouble was being used as an excuse. | Mr Bator said that after the football violence "a few" Poles had decided to leave, but said trouble finding employment had been a large factor in this and the trouble was being used as an excuse. |
| "We have to explain that the Polish community is here for the long-term," he added. | "We have to explain that the Polish community is here for the long-term," he added. |