AN IRISH traveller has hit back at trolls who branded her a ‘thief’ and even threatened to burn down her caravan.
Bernadette often shares insights of her traveller lifestyle on her TikTok account, but recently she has been a victim of cruel comments.
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Sick of being battered with traveller stereotypes, Bernadette shared a video where she addressed one comment in particular which accused her of stealing.
Speaking in the video she said: “I come from a long nationality of travellers and I have been around the country.
“I have never nicked no-one’s cats, dogs, tools – we are not hard up, we do not need to nick anything from anybody.”
Shockingly, one of her followers left a comment on her video saying that travellers should be “burnt inside their caravans.”
Fuming, Bernadette said: “To leave that comment saying that travellers need burning in their caravans like the Nazis got rid of the Jews, I think it’s absolutely disgusting.
“People wonder why travellers don’t like non-travellers, this is the reason because you are all so prejudiced against us.
“The audacity of some council house person, to sit there and say that I’ve stolen stuff.
“I’ve never stolen anything from my life, I am very proud of my family and I am very proud of my heritage, I come from a long long line of travellers.”
Bernadette went on to say that it was unlikely that a traveller would have stolen anything from the commenter, and it was more likely to be “one of their mates.”
“Just by leaving that comment you’ve shown that we have much higher respect and much higher morals than you ever had,” she added.
She also addressed remarks about travellers fighting, saying it was just part of their culture.
“When we fight it’s our own business, it’s in our own culture with our own families,” she said.
“It’s not where you can see it, and it’s got nothing to do with you.”
Despite the flack that she receives, Bernadette says that she has nothing against non-travellers and wants to promote positivity on her account.
You’ll never bring us down, we’re very proud people and we have a lot of respect for people who respect us
Bernadette
She said: “I’ve got nothing against non-travellers I don’t want no hate on my page, I just want to be left alone.
“We are human beings and we have rights and you’ll never take those away from us.
“You’ll never bring us down, we’re very proud people and we have a lot of respect for people who respect us.”
Bernadette’s followers were equally shocked by the negative remarks she’d received, bolstering her in the comments.
One wrote: “I think these comments are vile – I’m not a traveller but all the travelling people I have met have been the nicest.”
“It’s such a shame the way some people judge others,” added another, while a third commented, “People are just small-minded and need to stop spreading hate.”
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