Urgent work being done to prepare for potential of further disorder – O’Neill
By David Young, Press Association
The Stormont Executive is urgently reviewing how the authorities respond to anti-immigration violence in Northern Ireland in anticipation of potential further outbreaks, the First Minister has said.
Michelle O’Neill likened the disorder that erupted in Belfast and other places earlier in the month to a “pogrom”.
Responding to questions in the Assembly, O’Neill insisted there “isn’t just one answer” when it came to making sure the authorities are better prepared to tackle such violence and deal with the aftermath of it.
Violence flared in several areas in Northern Ireland two weeks ago after a graphic video clip emerged of a man being stabbed in north Belfast.
The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, who is aged in his 40s, lost his left eye in the attack and also sustained deep wounds to his head, face and back.
He is now out of an induced coma but his family has said he may also lose the sight in his right eye.
Following the attack, Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court charged with attempted murder.
Sudanese national Alodid entered Northern Ireland across the Irish border by bus in February 2023, having flown to Dublin from Paris.
He then claimed asylum upon arrival and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
The disorder following the stabbing saw masked mobs set fire to homes, cars and a bus, with people targeted based on their race.
Foreign national healthcare workers were also subjected to threats and intimidation.
Official Opposition leader and SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole said it was important the Executive set out specific steps it was taking to ensure the police were sufficiently resourced to deal with disorder, that people displaced from their homes could be rehoused rapidly and that progress was made to improve integration within society in Northern Ireland.
“I acknowledge and welcome your strong words in condemnation of the racism we’ve seen, but racial minorities in our society want more than words and, frankly, from the Executive they have seen a lack of urgency in terms of practical response,” he told O’Neill during Assembly question time.
“This is now the third year we’ve had racial violence, particularly in this city. In this city, we basically had an attempted pogrom (this month)… including people sheltering in my office.
“So, can I ask, and I welcome your words, for more specificity on actions to prevent more pogroms? That’s what they were this summer. What actions will be taken?”
O’Neill replied: “There isn’t just one answer to this, of course, as the member knows, so it’s coming at it from every angle, whether that be in a policing response initially, and there was additional funding secured for the initial policing response.
“But I agree with you that this is the third year in a row that we have had this type of behaviour on our streets, this racism on our streets, a pogrom is absolutely how I describe it, likewise.
“So we have to do things in the here and now to respond to what has happened, but we also are looking urgently at what we can do going into the future.
“So, if we can, if we know this is going to happen – which is even a really uncomfortable thing to say – that we can predict this, we have to do everything that we can.”
