Hussey apologises after ‘insensitive’ Black Lives Matter comments

A UUP councillor has apologised after making “insensitive” comments in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Derry City and Strabane councillor Derek Hussey made the comments at a special virtual council meeting on Monday evening discussing racism in the North West.

During the meeting, the council had welcomed presentations by anti-racism groups from across the North of Ireland – discussing the issue of racism, sectarianism and anti-semitism.

Speaking towards the end of the discussion, Mr Hussey made reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, remarking it was a very “multicultural” presentation and noted the meeting was addressing issues “which go beyond Black Lives Matter”.

He then went on to suggest the group were not “fully inclusive”.

“I have always wondered in the back of my mind is it not time the BLM campaign became fully inclusive and changed to being an all-lives matter campaign,” he said.

Speaking immediately after he made the comments, Sinn Fein’s Aileen Mellon said she wanted to “associate herself” with all the contributions except for “the one before” and expressed gratitude for the groups attending.

During the meeting, Lilian Seenoi-Barr from the anti-racism North-West Migrants Forum group told the councillors that the Derry City and Strabane area had seen the largest increase in racist incidents between January 2019 and December 2020.

She also added that in her view it was “fair to say we are going backwards” in relation to racist incidents in the city.

The councillors were told 66 racist incidents and 47 racist crimes were recorded in the local area in 2020.

Responding directly to Mr Hussey’s comments, Ms Seenoi-Barr called on him to explain his thoughts on the “origins” of the Black Lives Matter.

“Of course all lives matter, but I would like the councillor to actually tell us if he knows of the injustices that have happened to black people and where the origins of Black Lives Matter started,” she said.

“If all lives matter it shouldn’t feel uncomfortable when we say ‘Black Lives Matter’. If he can just respond if he knows where it started.”

He did not wish to comment when approached for comment on Tuesday.

Instead, Mr Hussey directed inquiries to the Ulster Unionist Party press office.

In a statement released by the party, he said: “I apologise for my comments which were insensitive.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to hear from those who presented and to expand my own understanding of racism in Northern Ireland.

“The Ulster Unionist Party opposes all forms of racism and we want to see hate crime legislation strengthened in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.”

Mr Hussey returned to the council in 2020 following a 15-month ban after an investigation from a standards watchdog in July 2020.

The councillor has three convictions for drink-driving offences and was banned from driving for five years in 2016.

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