The Mayo Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Forum has said that it is "appalled" by the call of the Westport branch of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland for a ban on serving Travellers.
The call for the ban followed a series of incidents involving Travellers in Westport on the weekend of July 27th/28th.
The forum yesterday called on politicians and business leaders to publicly reject the VFI action.
Commenting on an article in yesterday's Sunday World, in which Travellers were branded as "vultures", Mr Chris Lavelle, a member of the national council of the VFI and a Westport publican, said that 99 per cent of publicans in the town and probably as many locals "would agree with the sentiments expressed".
"To be branded and demonised as 'vultures' is nothing new for us", said Mr Bernie Sweeney, a spokesman for the Mayo Travellers' Support Group. "Such national coverage of a volatile situation boils down to incitement to hatred."