THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE have attended an anti-racism rally in Belfast following racially motivated attacks on homes and businesses in the city during riots sparked by a knife attack last Monday.
Organised by the Unite Against Racism organisation, the Together Against Hate rally is taking place outside Belfast City Hall.
It follows days of violence across the city in the wake of a stabbing attack which saw Stephen Ogilvie lose his eye and suffer deep cuts to his head, face and back.
Sudanese national Hadi Alodid (30) appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder over Monday’s knife attack.
On Tuesday night, mobs set homes, a bus and cars on fire in Belfast, with people targeted based on their race.
Several attendees at the rally today held placards reading slogans such as: “Racists go home”, and: “The problem is evil and violence, not race”.
Yesterday, the PSNI said that so far 21 suspects have been identified and 19 arrests have been made.
Twelve people have been charged to appear at court and all 12 were remanded in custody.
Cara Bell (32) and Matthew Richardson (33) got married in the City Hall today while the rally was under way and after their ceremony, they came out to join the crowd.
Speaking to the Press Association, Richardson said: “We kind of knew that there would likely be a protest on the wedding day as it’s a Saturday, and we were just glad that it was one that we obviously support.”
Bell said: “We would have been down here if we weren’t getting married.”
She added that the unrest over the last couple of days has been “really awful to witness”, adding: “I think it’s important to note that things like today really show that this is not the general feeling of people in Belfast.
“I do think, on the whole, people in Belfast are welcoming and friendly.”
Bell added that it’s been “a week where you’ve seen the worst of humanity and the best of humanity in Belfast”.
Among those speaking at the demonstration was leader of the Opposition SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, who said that earlier this week, he could have “cried with anger, fear, and frustration at the hate on our streets”.
“I could cry now but cry with joy at this demonstration of anti-racism, of solidarity and of opposition to hate on our streets,” he added.
Elaine Crory from the WRDA also delivered a speech, telling attendees: “All it takes is for one person who’s not white and local to commit a crime and that fire of racism is rekindled.”
She said this will happen because “the root cause of the problem” is not being tackled, adding that the police have arrested “fewer people than were officially made homeless”.
With reporting from Press Association
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