‘Extreme fear' grips Filipinos in Northern Ireland's Ballymena as anti-migrant violence rages

South China Morning Post

2 days ago

Michael Sancio, a resident of the Northern Irish town of Ballymena, said he was woken at midnight on Tuesday by masked men banging loudly on windows.
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Sancio, his wife and daughter, and a couple who share their house – all originally from the
Philippines – grabbed their passports and a few belongings and fled their home, sleeping at a friend's house on Tuesday night. They said they plan to stay further outside the town on Wednesday because they feel unsafe at home.
Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the town of 30,000 people for a second successive night on Tuesday. Police are investigating the damaging of property as racially motivated 'hate crimes'.
'Last night I woke up at 12 midnight because I heard some people outside, and I saw in the window, I saw the other guys wearing a black jacket and black pants, and also they're wearing a mask,' Sancio, 27, said on Wednesday.
'They started banging the window of our neighbours, so I panicked because I have a daughter inside that house.'
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The rioters smashed the windows of the couple's car that was parked outside the house and set it and a bin on fire, said Sancio, who works at a local bus manufacturer.