Anti-racism rally held after days of violence

Demonstrators gathered in Belfast city centre to show support for Northern Ireland’s migrant community following a week of disorder.

People in the crowd held signs with slogans such as “racists go home”, “refugees are welcome” and “diversity makes us stronger”.

Violence started on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, County Antrim, and later spread to other areas.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said “bigots and racists” were behind the rioting.

Speaking at the anti-racism rally at Belfast City Hall, Nathalie Donnelly from trade union Unison said she had colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds who were terrified and “basically hiding at home”.

“They get to work in taxis, come home and hide in their own houses,” she told BBC News NI.

“We’ve got a small English class every week – half of the students didn’t even dare to come out for the English class.”

Ms Donnelly said even people who had lived in Northern Ireland for a long time had an “overwhelming sense of sadness and disgust at what is happening and are really questioning staying here”.

Ms Donnelly, who is originally from France, said she had “made Ireland [her] home” but she felt it was “no longer the Ireland that [she is] proud of”.

“We should make Ireland the island of a hundred thousand welcomes again,” she said.

Friday night saw a fifth night of violence when police in Portadown, County Armagh, used water cannon to tackle rioters who were attacking them.

Officers were targeted with petrol bombs, fireworks, masonry, bricks and bottles.

Police in Londonderry also dealt with disorder in the Tullyally area from Friday night into Saturday morning.

Damage was caused to playing fields and property in Killeavey Road in Newry in County Down when a large group of people set a pitch and bins on fire.

Stones were thrown at the windows of a hotel in Newtownabbey and a car was set on fire in Hesketh Gardens Belfast, which police are treating a racially motivated hate crime.

At the demo at City Hall, Belfast’s deputy lord mayor said he wanted to show solidarity to people who had been targeted in the unrest.

Representatives of other political parties and trade unions joined Paul Doherty at the event and there was a small police presence.

Doherty said the demonstration was about standing up to “racist thugs who have been on our streets intimidating and threatening families and driving them from their homes”.

“We’re speaking to people right across this city, indeed right across the north, who are afraid to walk down the street, who are afraid to bring their children to school, who are afraid to say hello to someone as they pass them on the street,” he said.

Doherty added that one parent told him their children were asking: “Daddy why do people hate us out there?”

“Imagine children – five, six, seven years of age – asking their parents ‘why do people hate us?’ That’s not the type of society we want in Belfast or across the north,” he said.

“We need to bring a stop to this.”

Doherty said the police and Northern Ireland Executive “need to step up” and “a better response” was needed from the PSNI.

The force has said it will do all it can to bring people to justice and on Friday it issued images of people it wants to speak to in connection with the violence.

More PSNI officers were injured in Portadown on Friday night, with more than 60 physically hurt over the course of the past week.

Police have made 21 arrests following disorder in various parts of Northern Ireland, with 13 charged.

Four have appeared in court and been remanded in custody.

Monday

A peaceful protest is held in Ballymena, County Antrim, after two teenage boys appear before Coleraine Magistrates’ Court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages.

Their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.

Later in the day, violence breaks out when a number of people wearing masks break away from the peaceful protest, build barricades and attack properties on Clonavon Terrace.

People throw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police.

Tuesday

Protesters attack police during another night of disorder in Ballymena. Cars are set on fire and the windows of several houses are smashed.

Police also deal with sporadic incidents of disorder in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus in County Antrim and north Belfast.

Wednesday

The worst of the disorder is again in Ballymena, but unrest also spreads to other towns.

In Larne, County Antrim, masked youths attack a leisure centre and set it on fire. The centre had been providing emergency shelter for families.

Police Scotland agrees to send officers to Northern Ireland to provide support.

Thursday

A fourth night of disorder, but at a lower level than seen earlier in the week.

About 400 protestors gather in the centre of Portadown, County Armagh. Bricks and masonry are thrown at police.

There is also a police presence in Ballymena, but the rioters stay away.

Around 100 people turn up at an anti-racism protest in west Belfast, which passes off peacefully.

The home of a family with three children is set on fire in Coleraine.

Friday

Police in Portadown use water cannon to tackle rioters but the violence is again at a lower level than earlier in the week.

Police release photos of four suspects they want the public to help identify in connection with the disorder.