Tackling misogyny, intimidation and the rise of hard and far-right populism
The Equality Coalition brings together civic society groups to respond to the rise in hate and growth of far-right populism that has escalated in Northern Ireland, particularly given the context of paramilitarism and sectarian division. The Coalition has been a pivotal forum in understanding and intervening on instances of hate fueled by misogyny, homophobia/transphobia, ableism, sectarianism, and racism and Islamophobia.
Rabble Co-Operative collaboration
The Equality Coalition has a formal partnership with the Rabble Co-Operative, a tech company underpinned by human rights and social justice. The goal of the partnership is to research and respond to a rise in racist and Islamophobic hate in Northern Ireland, particularly in the online space. Our first report in May 2025, ‘Mapping Far Right Activity Online in Northern Ireland Project Report’ tracked the growth in anti-immigrant, racist and Islamophobic content online and its outworkings in society, namely through a rise in hate expression, attacks and protests. A secondary report produced in response to the racist disorder in Ballymena was launched in October 2025 entitled ‘Inciting a Pogrom? Social media and the racist disorder in Ballymena and beyond during Summer 2025’. Research continues to reflect the growth in far-right movements across the island of Ireland.
Tackling hate expression in public space
The Equality Coalition has been committed to improving the response to hate expression and displays which incite hatred in the public space. We have an established track record of convening roundtables and producing research which lays out the legal duties for authorities on how to respond to harmful displays, particularly those with a hate motivation. In 2026, the Coalition was successful in bringing about meaningful policy change through our engagement with the PSNI and Department for Infrastructure, namely through the reformulation and publication of the PSNI’s new service instruction on responding to complaints about public displays. We continue to monitor the progress of the policy, to engage with Department for Infrastructure, and to critically assess the impact of the policy on communities affected by hate expression across Northern Ireland.
Strengthening hate crime legislation
The Equality Coalition has long been an advocate for reformed hate crime legislation. The Equality Coalition partners contributed to the Independent Review of Hate Crime Legislation by Judge Marrinan in 2019 and have continued to campaign for the implementation of the recommendations arising from the report in the face of Executive delay. The Coalition has met with a number of Ministers to highlight the issues facing victims of hate crime and continue to produce research that reflects the urgency of this matter.