Second Night of Disorder in Belfast
A man from County Antrim has recounted his fear as homes were set ablaze during a second consecutive night of unrest following a knife attack in Belfast earlier this week.
Paul Sharkey, a resident of Glengormley, said he was
"petrified"after witnessing
"masked men walking up our street and setting fire to homes".
A cleanup operation is underway after the disturbances, which were largely concentrated along a single street in the greater Belfast area. Police deployed water cannon to disperse crowds during the unrest.
Twelve police officers sustained injuries and 16 individuals were arrested following the violence on Tuesday night. Health care workers faced threats, and children were forced to leave their homes.
Riot police were subjected to sustained attacks by groups throwing bricks, bottles, and pieces of wood at a major roundabout northwest of Belfast.
"It was terrifying,"Sharkey told NI.
"A van was sat alight and pushed towards my home. I hardly slept a wink."
Racist Intimidation of Health Workers
Across Belfast, a nurse heading to work at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald was confronted and chased by masked individuals. Her union stated she had done nothing wrong except having a
"different colour of skin"compared to most residents of Northern Ireland.
Despite the intimidation, the union noted she
"bravely"continued her shift on Wednesday.
'Racism, Pure and Simple'
Patricia McKeown from Unison told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that when they saw the call to arms on social media, they anticipated overseas members would be targeted.
"There is no excuse for any of this. This is racism, pure and simple,"she said.
She added that
"it was not good enough to call for calm"and urged leaders to take decisive action.
The South Eastern Trust expressed being
"horrified"that a nurse was chased and intimidated on her way to work.
The union also reported that health workers were left terrified following a
"threat"against overseas staff at Whiteabbey Hospital in County Antrim.
Meanwhile, staff residing near Belfast City Hospital received letters instructing them to leave their homes or face the risk of being burned out.
The Belfast Trust condemned the racist abuse directed at some of its staff.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt emphasized that international workers are
"vital and provide an invaluable contribution to their patients and the wider community."
Community Fear and Violence
Residents across Northern Ireland expressed fear following the second night of violent protests. The intimidation occurred after a knife attack on Monday left a man with serious injuries, including the loss of an eye.
Outrage and distress led to protests, some peaceful but others escalating into violent riots, resulting in people being burned out of their homes on Tuesday.
Twasul Mohammed, a Sudanese resident of Belfast who works with community groups, said families were now afraid to remain in their homes.
She explained that local residents fearful of reprisals sought refuge in a church after racial attacks on their homes.
Most affected were Sudanese, Somali, Syrian, and Eritrean families whose addresses had been publicly shared on social media, causing them to fear staying in their houses.
"We went into the houses and evacuated the families because we were on the phone to them,"she said.
Children Evicted by Angry Mobs
"They were terrified locking themselves in the bathroom because petrol bombs were being thrown into the houses,"Mohammed added.
"I am from Sudan myself, and a lot of the families put out last night are Sudanese as well. Some of them are families, I know they were terrified, kids were crying, women were crying,"she said.
"These are people who have fled the war in Sudan, and they are seeing the same things again and living the same things, it is overwhelming."
A primary school in west Belfast reported that some children had been
"forcibly evicted from their homes"by
"angry mobs"and were spending Wednesday seeking alternative accommodation.
A letter from St Teresa's to parents stated that many classrooms had children absent following Tuesday night's disorder.
The letter added that men, women, and children who had committed no crimes were
"targeted because of the colour of their skin."
