'Emergency rally' against racism to be held outside Belfast City Hall today after days of unrest
AN 'EMERGENCY RALLY' against hate and racism will be held today in Belfast following days of racially charged violence in Northern Ireland.
The rally, organised by United Against Racism, will take place at midday outside Belfast City Hall.
Speaking to
The Journal
ahead of the rally, Ivanka Antova, chairperson of the Belfast branch of United Against Racism, said migrant communities in Northern Ireland have been left feeling scared, persecuted and blamed for crimes that they have not committed after this week's violence.
'We're hoping for a cross-community turnout that represents what we know is the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland, and on the island, who want an end to the racist riots and violence and the persecution of migrant communities to stop now,' she said.
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Unrest spread across towns in Northern Ireland this week after violence first broke out in Ballymena following a vigil on Monday for a teenage girl allegedly sexually assaulted by two 14-year-old boys.
Earlier that day, the boys had appeared in court and were charged with attempted rape, where a Romanian interpreter read them the charges. They have both since been released on bail.
What followed were riots and what police have described as racially motivated violence, with people forced to flee their homes due to the racially motivated attacks.
On Wednesday, masked youths attacked a leisure centre in Larne, which is located about 30 minutes from Ballymena.
Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, has since
called for a DUP minister to resign
because of a social media post he sent hours before the attack.
In the social media post, the DUP's Gordon Lyons said the leisure centre was being used to accommodate individuals 'following the disturbances in Ballymena'.
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I went to talk to people in Ballymena, and was told to make myself 'scarce' or there'd be trouble
He has since said he would 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena.
O'Neill accused Lyons of 'inflaming tensions' and failing to show proper leadership.
Today's rally will begin at midday.
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