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Jolene Bunting: Belfast City councillor reported over 'racist, sectarian and offensive' tweet

Belfast independent councillor Jolene Bunting. Picture by Mal McCann
Belfast independent councillor Jolene Bunting. Picture by Mal McCann Belfast independent councillor Jolene Bunting. Picture by Mal McCann

A BELFAST City councillor has been reported to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards over a “racist, sectarian and offensive” tweet.

Independent councillor Jolene Bunting, who has previously caused controversy by supporting far-right group Britain First, posted the tweet yesterday afternoon.

It depicts two frogs, one wearing a Union flag and the other wearing an Irish tricolour. The frog with the tricolour is crying, holding a pint of Guinness and wearing a hat that reads: “Please be patient I have famine”.

Accompanying the picture is the line: “C’mon Paddy, EU can leave too”.

Jolene Bunting's tweet has been described as sectarian and racist
Jolene Bunting's tweet has been described as sectarian and racist Jolene Bunting's tweet has been described as sectarian and racist

Around one million people died and a further one million emigrated during the Irish Potato Famine between 1845 and 1850.

The cartoon frog in the picture, known as “Pepe”, was adopted years ago by far-right social media trolls to target, among others, autistic children.

Sinn Féin council group leader Deirdre Hargey said she had lodged formal complaints with the Local Government Commissioner for Standards (LGCS) and Belfast City Council over the tweet, which she branded “racist, sectarian and offensive”.

Alliance councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown also filed a complaint with the LGCS, calling the tweet “not only crass but racist and sectarian”.

“There is no place in our politics for this. Depressingly, it seems there is no prejudice she [Jolene Bunting] is unwilling to support,” he added.

SDLP representative Donal Lyons had already filed a complaint about Ms Bunting to the LGCS in December in relation to an “anti-Islam” video she appeared in which was filmed in front of Belfast Islamic centre.

Mr Lyons said yesterday's tweeted picture had “sectarian and racist undertones” and added further weight to his previous complaint.

“But sharing an image which makes fun of autistic children is beyond disgusting. It beggars belief that this has been posted by somebody holding elected office,” he added.

“The cartoon frog ‘Pepe’ which Jolene shared was adopted a number of years ago by racist and extreme-right trolls.

“It’s been used to attack different groups and the particular version that Jolene shared was aimed at autistic children. Twisting a phrase that’s used to help children with autism and turning it into a sectarian jag about the famine is beyond contemptible.”

This is not the first time the Greater Shankill representative has caused controversy.

Her defence of a racist leaflet drop in the Ravenhill area of south Belfast as “information” caused heated exchanges in the council last month.

The leaflets, purporting to be from a group called 'Generation Sparta', warned against the 'Islamification' of Northern Ireland and contained several racist messages. Police have confirmed they are treating the leaflet drop as a hate crime.