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PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Alliance Party has called for the recall of the Northern Ireland Assembly after violence erupted following an anti-immigration protest in Belfast.<\/p>\n The party has submitted a recall petition, which will require the support of 30 members.<\/p>\n A number of businesses were attacked<\/a> and set on fire on Saturday.<\/p>\n A Syrian-owned supermarket on Donegal Road was among businesses that were badly damaged by arson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Our political leaders now have to act decisively. The first minister and deputy first minister need to reverse the de-prioritisation of good relations work,” Alliance Executive Office spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said.<\/p>\n Four men, aged 53, 46, 38 and 34, have been charged with different offences linked to Saturday\u2019s disorder and they are due in court on Monday.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some Belfast business owners \u201chave seen their entire livelihood wiped out in one night of sickening violence\u201d, Justice Minister Naomi Long told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme.<\/p>\n Ms Long said those responsible for the disorder had \u201cinstilled fear in our community\u201d and had made people of colour afraid to leave their homes.<\/p>\n The Alliance leader accepted that some people had attended the protest because they had genuine concerns about immigration, but she accused others of being \u201cintent on creating mayhem\u201d.<\/p>\n Some of the victims questioned the effectiveness of the policing operation after crowds involved in the city centre protest were able to move into streets in south Belfast where they attacked businesses.<\/p>\n The minister said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had \u201cprevented the mob moving towards the Islamic Centre\u201d on University Road.<\/p>\n But she added that the violence which erupted at other sites was \u201csporadic\u201d and it \u201cisn\u2019t possible for the PSNI to be in every location\u201d.<\/p>\n Ms Long added that Saturday\u2019s scenes had caused \u201cirreparable\u201d damage to the city\u2019s reputation and racially-motivated violence would make it more difficult to recruit overseas workers to staff the health service.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Matthew O\u2019Toole, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), attended a counter-demonstration against the anti-immigration protest.<\/p>\n He said the violent scenes witnessed in Belfast “can’t be allowed to happen again”.<\/p>\n Also speaking to Good Morning Ulster, he described the attacks on south Belfast businesses as \u201ca violation of a community that is proudly diverse\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cTo think that a group of people with nothing but hate on their minds were allowed to rampage through that area is profoundly upsetting and infuriating and we need to ensure nothing like that ever happens again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The SDLP assembly member added: \u201cPeople have felt for a long time that racially-motivated hate crime is not taken as seriously in Northern Ireland as it should be and that is profoundly concerning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie said the violence was \u201cappalling\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was quite clear there were people who were whipped up on social media, and this is on national social media I have to say, not just in Northern Ireland but right across the United Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Beattie said some of the people involved had come out \u201cspoiling for a fight\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey burnt businesses, they attacked people, they put lives in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n The UUP leader said the police should not only track down those involved in the rioting, but they should also go after the people who \u201cincited this violence\u201d.<\/p>\n He added that society needs to have a \u201cgrown-up, adult conversation\u201d about concerns about immigration, but he claimed those responsible for the rioting were not interested in having that discussion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After the protest outside the city hall on Saturday, some anti-immigration protesters attempted to march to the Belfast Islamic Centre in south Belfast – but were prevented from getting there by the police.<\/p>\n Kashif Akram, a member of the executive committee for Belfast Islamic Centre, said the building itself was \u201cwell protected\u201d but the community and shops in the area were \u201cnot safe at all\u201d.<\/p>\n Mr Akram said the Islamic Centre has received an \u201cunbelievable\u201d amount of messages over the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fear in a lot of them: \u2018Should we be opening up today, should we be going to work, should we be leaving home?\u2019 Especially in this day and age, for someone having a fear for their life, their livelihood, their income, it\u2019s not acceptable.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cDespite all the assurances from PSNI leadership in the run up to Saturday\u2019s mobilisations of what looked like far right thugs, they were simply allowed to run free on the streets of Belfast,” Mr Akram added.<\/p>\n “The inevitable outcome you\u2019ve seen on the route \u2013 people were verbally abused, there was racist comments being made, people were physically attacked, you\u2019ve seen the state of some of the shops.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the rally planned for Friday \u201cneeds to be stopped\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s organised crime, it\u2019s racism and it needs to be nipped in the bud. It\u2019s the first time in a long time I\u2019ve felt fearful for my children leaving the house on a Saturday afternoon to enjoy themselves and it needs to be addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n More than 150 people have been arrested after demonstrations organised by far-right groups descended into riots in UK towns and cities over the weekend.<\/a><\/p>\n There was unrest in Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, as well as Belfast, with missiles thrown, shops looted and police attacked in some places. Other smaller demonstrations elsewhere did not turn violent.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to give police forces the government’s “full support” to take action against “extremists” attempting to “sow hate”.<\/p>\n Downing Street has confirmed there will be an emergency response meeting on Monday.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Upsetting and infuriating’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Pacemaker<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"PA](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2175\/live\/18577d60-530a-11ef-b2d2-cdb23d5d7c5b.jpg.webp\")
PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Appalling’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Pacemaker<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Nipped in the bud’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Pacemaker<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n