The Northern Ireland Secretary has hit out at “racist thuggery” in Belfast as he said: “This is not the true face of Northern Ireland.”
Hilary Benn said it is unacceptable that people are being targeted because of the colour of their skin. He said he was appalled at reports that people were being stopped on their way to work by thugs demanding to know their nationality.
He told Sky News: “I’ve talked to a number of community organizations, and it’s really important to convey the sense of fear that has been created, above all for those who were intimidated, burned out of their houses by masked thugs on the basis of the color of their skin.
“But talking to those community organizations, everyone else in Northern Ireland who is an ethnic minority is thinking is somebody going to come for me? We’ve had reports of people being stopped in their cars to be asked what their nationality is on their way to work, and this is completely unacceptable.
“And we all feel very strongly about the appalling attack on Stephen Ogilvie and which was captured, of course, on that awful, awful video.
“An individual has been arrested. He has now been charged. We need to let the criminal justice process take its course. But there is no justification for the kind of violent thuggery that we have seen.”
And he continued: “I have joined with all of the political leaders in Northern Ireland in calling on people to desist, because this is not what Northern Ireland – a great place – is about. This is not the true face of Northern Ireland.”
Asked if the violence in Northern Ireland should be categorised as racist riots, Mr Benn said: “Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of their colour, of their skin, how else can you describe them? This is racist thuggery. There’s no question about it at all.”