People from the Shankill are up in arms over a new campaign which asks them to vote if their area is "crap or class".
Huge posters have appeared all over the road urging residents to take part in "the vote that still matters".
Those who hate living in the area can text "crap" from their mobile phones to an advertised number. People who love the Shankill are asked to text the word "class" instead.
Residents can also vote online at www.ShankillCrapOrClass.com. The posters, which are officially displayed at bus shelters all over the area, have outraged locals.
Mystery surrounds who is behind the campaign as neither the posters nor the website reveal any details other than how to vote.
"This stinks," said veteran Glencairn community worker Jimmy Creighton. "These posters are derogatory and offensive. We're a proud community who have been through a lot.
"We've survived loyalist feuds, an IRA bomb which killed nine innocent men, women and children, and countless other murders. Now somebody slaps us in the face with these sickening ads.
"We've taken plenty of insults over there years but whoever is behind this has stooped to a new low." Creighton called on the mystery group sponsoring the campaign to reveal their identity.
"They should come out into the open and have the courage to face the people of the Shankill. Like any area, we have our problems but they'll be sorted by hard work, not voting 'crap or class'. We suffer massive social deprivation. There are health, education and drug problems on the Shankill.
"But there are plenty of well-off people from the Malone Road and North Down's 'gold coast' using coke and other drugs and nobody puts posters up there asking residents if their area is 'crap or class'."
Independent unionist councillor, Frank McCoubrey, said: "These posters are outrageous. Life on the Shankill has improved hugely in recent years and the last thing we need is this negative nonsense.
"An £11 million well-being centre has been built on the Shankill which will be a one-stop shop for people with health problems. We have many new houses and apartments and another 39 new homes are being built as part of a regeneration project in the lower Shankill.
"The 'crap or class' campaign is completely out of step with what's happening on the road."
