Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn on Thursday condemned two days of anti-immigrant rioting in the capital Belfast, calling it 'racist thuggery.' The return of unrest to a province that endured decades of sectarian conflict before a 1990s peace deal has raised deep concern.
Speaking to Sky News, Benn said: 'If you target somebody on the basis of the color of their skin, how else would you describe that? It is racist thuggery.' He criticized 'the sense of fear that has been created' and said police had arrested 16 people on Wednesday night.
Police and politicians say much of the violence has been encouraged and coordinated online. Deputy Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told reporters: 'What we are seeing is significant coordination through social media activity, partly from those within Northern Ireland and partly from outside the island of Ireland.' He added that there could be prosecutions related to social media posts.
Tensions escalated after a brutal stabbing on Monday by an asylum-seeking Somali man. The incident not only fuelled far-right tensions in Britain over immigration but also revived memories of 'the Troubles.'
For three decades, Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestant unionists loyal to Britain waged a violent conflict that tore Northern Irish society apart. The conflict ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, in which the British and Irish governments and most Northern Irish political parties agreed on how to govern the province.
Racist mobs have sought to target a hotel that housed asylum seekers. Police said the disorder subsided on Wednesday night compared with Tuesday.
In a related development, Sudanese citizen Hadi Alodid was remanded in custody by Belfast Magistrates' Court on a charge of attempted murder. The case is not being treated as 'terrorism' and was adjourned until July 8. Victim Stephen Ogilvie is recovering, according to Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson. Ogilvie's family called for calm after the 'awful tragedy,' saying violence is 'not welcome.'
