North Belfast: Residents 'shouldn't have to leave homes' after sectarian attacks
A north Belfast community has found itself "looking after each other" after a number of homes were damaged in a sectarian-motivated attack, a local resident has said.A group of masked individuals, who are believed to have thrown masonry at the properties, were reported to have entered the Annalee Street and Alloa Street areas at about 21:45 BST on Tuesday, police said.Kirsty Giffen-McGarth was sat at the rear of her property, which was undamaged, and said she initially thought it was "kids messing about"."We all came out together, I have to say it was terrifying, I've never experienced anything like that before," she told BBC News NI.
"Today, especially with it hitting the news... it makes it very real, just how at risk you are for who you are."
Ms Giffen-McGarth has lived in the area for several months and has "absolutely loved" the sense of community."It's something I've always wanted. That's exactly what we've got, all the kids are outside playing, all the neighbours know each other. We're all in sync with each other, it's been lovely."Following the attack, she said fearful residents came together "to try and keep the sanity and keep the nerves down"."Straight away it was as if we were friends for life," she explained.
'Stop. How would you feel?'
However, she said there is fear in the community, with residents wondering what will happen next."You don't want to move, you want to be settled in your own home."It has been particularly worrisome for those with young families, she added. "[For young children], it's bound to be terrifying... some of them were in their bedrooms last night when this happened and now some of them don't want to come home to stay with their mummies anymore."To the attackers, Ms Giffen-McGarth has asked: "Why?""Please stop... It's sad, if it were to happen to your own family, how would you feel?"
Independent councillor Paul McCusker said the attack "came out of the blue" and was "quite shocking for a lot of residents", particularly for those with young children.The development is "very settled", and residents have been living there since December without incident, according to the councillor."We know that a lot of Catholic families have moved in here," he said."Families don't understand why they were targeted, there was no real warning in terms of graffiti... It's a very worrying situation."Speaking to families today, they just want things to settle down, they want the issue to de-escalate and they don't want to leave their homes, and they shouldn't have to leave their homes."
McCusker added all agencies must now work to "identify and understand why these houses were targeted".He said there is a suggestion of further threats in the coming days, which he described as a "worrying situation", but police have assured him they will maintain a presence in the area."Now is time for political leaders to stand up and call this out for what it is and support the residents," he added.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are appealing for information and witnesses."Enquiries are ongoing into the full circumstances and we are treating these incidents as sectarian-motivated hate crimes," Insp Hamilton added.A spokesperson for Clanmil Housing told BBC News NI they "absolutely condemn this incident" and residents' safety and wellbeing "are our priority"."Our team has been on site today doing all they can to support our tenants at this time, and it has been lovely to see how neighbours have also been supporting each other today," they said."We are working with the PSNI and local community and political representatives to ensure this is a safe and welcoming place for everyone and we urge anyone with information on this incident to contact the PSNI."
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Filipino families flee Northern Irish home after night of anti-immigrant violence
BALLYMENA, Northern Ireland, June 11 (Reuters) - 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. 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, told Reuters on Wednesday. "They started banging the window of our neighbours so I panicked because I have a daughter inside that house." 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. The violence erupted after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in Ballymena, a town with a relatively large migrant population located 28 miles (45 km) from Belfast. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, the BBC reported, adding that the lawyer told the court that they denied the charges. Anti-migrant violence is rare in Northern Ireland, which for decades has been more familiar with sectarian violence between resident Catholics and Protestants, including in Ballymena. While a 1998 peace deal largely ended the three decades of bloodshed between Protestants who want to remain under British rule and Catholics favouring a united Ireland, there are still sporadic clashes. Sancio said the masked men told them that they were not targeting Filipino people. Around Ballymena, Filipino residents put stickers of British and Filipino flags on their doors, with messages saying "Filipino lives here" to show they were not Romanian. Union Jack flags regularly fly in the largely pro-British town. Democratic Unionist Party councillor Lawrie Philpott told Reuters that some people who usually don't fly flags had hung Union Jacks outside their homes this week to show they are local. Around 6% of people in Northern Ireland were born abroad, according to government statistics. The foreign-born population in Ballymena is higher, in line with the UK average of 16%, and includes a relatively large Filipino community. Northern Ireland has been broadly welcoming to migrants but that has been tested recently. Violent disorder erupted in Belfast last August as part of anti-immigration protests that swept across several UK cities following the murder of three young girls in northwest England. In the Republic of Ireland, rioting broke out in Dublin in late 2023 during anti-immigrant protests that were triggered by a stabbing attack that left a child seriously injured. Sian Mulholland, a local lawmaker from the Alliance Party, said she was fielding calls from migrant families who in some cases had barricaded themselves into their homes until 0230 on Wednesday morning. "I had been engaging with this community beforehand because the houses they are living in are not fit for purpose. They're (living in) squalor," she told Reuters. Sancio's wife, Mariel Lei Odi, was working a night shift on Tuesday. When she returned home, she was worried about the safety of their two-year-old daughter, she said. "When I (came home to) my husband and chatted about what happened last night: (I said) 'my daughter, my daughter, my daughter. What happened?'," she said. Michael Asuro, who lives in the house with his wife, Jessa Sagarit, said he came to Northern Ireland just under two years ago to seek a better life. Sagarit said she felt traumatised by the events. Police have said they are braced for more violence on Wednesday. As residents boarded up broken windows and doors in Ballymena, the Filipino families wondered about their future and whether they will stay. "We feel extreme fear," Asuro said.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Ballymena riots latest: Fire started 'after vandalism' at leisure centre as disorder breaks out for third night in row in N Ireland
21:47:04 Leisure centre on fire 'temporarily housed people from Ballymena' Reports in Ireland suggest the leisure centre said to be targeted by vandals tonight - see 20.59 - may have housed people moved from Ballymena, though this has not been verified. DUP politician Gordon Lyons posted on Facebook earlier today "a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Lesiure Centre... following disturbances in Ballymena". "It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne," he added. "Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful." The Irish Independent said it is understood there is nobody currently inside the Leisure Centre. 21:14:01 'Force will be used against violent individuals', police warn crowd In Ballymena, police have gathered to deter any rioters planing disorder for a third night in a row. Our team is there now, where a crowd has been told to move away. A warning played via speakers tells them they should be "dispersed immediately". It then warns "force will be used against violent individuals". 20:59:56 Fire breaks out in town east of Ballymena A fire has reportedly broken out at a leisure centre in another town in the same county as Ballymena. Footage on social media shows masked individuals smashing windows and setting fires outside in Larne. The map below shows where Larne is, about 20 miles east of Ballymena in County Antrim. Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said the leisure centre "has been attacked by masked thugs". "Windows smashed and fires lit nearby," he posted on social media. "Larne does not need this." 20:59:01 In pictures: Police brace for further rioting More pictures now from the scene in Ballymena, where police are preparing for another night of rioting. 20:46:01 Entire rows of houses displaying 'locals live here' signs We've already brought you reports of residents in Ballymena displaying signs in their windows about their nationality - in an attempt to avoid rioters targeting their homes. Now, our team on the ground bring us pictures of entire rows of homes displaying signs. Our correspondent Connor Gillies explains that these signs look organised, as they are all of the same design, printed on yellow paper with black lettering in caps saying "Locals live here". Some homes with the signs in their windows also have the Northern Irish flag or the Union flag, too. 20:30:01 More police arrive with shields and helmets We reported in the post below that the police presence in Ballymena is growing. The picture below, from the last few minutes, gives you an idea of the units now taking formation. Several vans have arrived, blocking off a street as more officers line up equipped with riot gear. 20:16:48 Significant police presence in Ballymena A brief update from Connor Gillies, our reporter on the ground in Northern Ireland. He says he's just arrived in Ballymena for the evening, where there is a significant police presence. We'll bring you more updates as we get them. 20:09:01 'I deplore the thuggery' More political reaction now, with former SDLP leader Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick reacting to the violence. She said earlier: "I deplore the thuggery and the racist violence in Ballymena over the last two days, where there were attacks on the police service of Northern Ireland and on ethnic minorities." Violence condemned 'unequivocally' DUP peer Lord Weir of Ballyholme added: "Can I join with others in commending the efforts and the bravery of the police and the other emergency services in dealing [with the] situation of the last 48 hours, and also unreservedly and unequivocally condemn the violence that has taken place in Ballymena. "Whatever the underlying issues that are there in Ballymena, nothing can ever justify the thuggery that is being perpetrated there." 19:45:01 Aftermath of 'ugly' night of 'racially motivated' violence - and how it all began Police say the violence this week in Ballymena is "clearly racially motivated". Connor Gillies explains it all began with a vigil for a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault. Two teenage boys, from Romania, have appeared in court connected to that investigation. Officers say the vigil was hijacked by a planned anti-immigration mob. Watch below as Gillies runs through the origins of the riots, and looks at the homes devastated by violence.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
‘Masked thugs' start fire at leisure centre on third night of violence in Northern Ireland
A group of masked individuals have set fire to a leisure centre in the latest night of violence in Northern Ireland. A fire broke out at Larne Leisure Centre in Co Antrim on Wednesday following vandalism at the facility. The attack coincided with a third night of public disorder in the town of Ballymena, 30 minutes away from Larne. Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said in a social media post: 'Larne leisure centre has been attacked by masked thugs. 'Windows smashed and fires lit nearby. Larne does not need this.'
