People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
“We stand in full solidarity with Translink bus workers taking strike action in response to attacks on buses, passengers and public transportation.
“We condemn the now persistant and thuggish burning of buses by those determined to inflame sectarian violence.
“Workers already face enough challenges doing their jobs and should not face this kind of terror and threats – nor should people attempting to access public transportation.
“The DUP and others are using the issue of the protocol to stir up community division and must take responsibility for sectarian violence.
“The whipping up of sectarian violence has long been utilised by elites to deflect from their own failures and to divide working class communities.
“All working class communities have been abandoned by elites whether it’s cuts to Universal Credit, rising energy costs, new tax burdens and pay cuts. Those whipping up sectarian division and violence have no solutions to any of this.
“We need to strive for unity if we’re to address the hardships and challenges our communities face.
“We commend the action of the bus workers and the message of unity it sends. We appeal to everyone to back the bus workers and to reject attempts to whip up sectarian violence.”
