Hundreds of people gathered outside Belfast City Hall on Saturday for an anti-racism demonstration following a week of racially motivated violence and attacks targeting migrant communities across Northern Ireland.
Footage shows crowds holding placards reading ‘No hate, no to racism’, ‘The problem is evil and violence, not race’ and ‘The only thing Belfast has no room for is racism’ as speakers call for unity and condemn attacks on migrant families and ethnic minority communities.
“[From] the horrifying attack in north Belfast to the racist pogroms. They’ve left a deep-felt sense of fear and isolation for so many people in our community,” said Ivanka, a representative of United Against Racism, persisting, “It’s very important in these difficult times to be able to come together, to send a strong and unified message against hate.”
She rejected claims that the violence reflected a debate about immigration policy. “When people were knocking on doors to check if people of colour were living in them. That was not a conversation about immigration,” Ivanka asserted, adding that “the response can never be to go and burn perfectly innocent people with young children who are already vulnerable out of their homes.”
Michael, a volunteer of a refugee support group, said the demonstration was important to show solidarity with those affected by the attacks.
“If you have a legitimate grievance, that’s fine, […] but you cannot claim that your response is going to address those issues by blaming people who have nothing to do with those issues,” he declared.
Mohamed, a Belfast resident, said many people remained fearful after the violence. “We need people in Belfast to live in peace. Everybody respects each other, and everybody contributes to society and to the well-being of everybody in the society,” he stressed.
The unrest began after a knife attack on Kinnaird Avenue in north Belfast left 44-year-old Stephen Ogilvie with life-altering injuries. A 30-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker, Hadi Alodid, was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted murder.
In the days that followed, groups of masked men reportedly targeted properties linked to migrant families, using lists of suspected immigrant addresses circulated online. Windows were smashed, doors were forced open, and several homes were petrol-bombed.
Political leaders and human rights organisations have condemned the attacks, describing them as racially motivated violence and warning against attempts to use the incident to fuel hatred against migrant communities.
Source: Viory
