AssetID: 55765348
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: UK Minister Condemns Northern Ireland Violence As 'Racist Thuggery'
Caption: UK Minister Condemns Northern Ireland Violence As ‘Racist Thuggery’. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has condemned two nights of anti-immigration unrest in Northern Ireland, describing the violence as “racist thuggery” after rioters targeted ethnic minority communities and foreign residents. Police deployed water cannon for a second consecutive night in Belfast as officers attempted to disperse crowds and prevent attacks on locations linked to asylum seekers. The unrest followed a knife attack in Belfast, for which a Sudanese man has been charged with attempted murder, although police have said the incident is not currently being treated as terrorism. Minister Hilary Benn said anyone targeting people because of the colour of their skin should be clearly identified as engaging in racist violence. Rioters set fire to homes and vehicles, smashed windows and threw bricks at police, while reports emerged of ethnic minority nurses being chased as they travelled to work. Politicians said police were forced to patrol areas named on online “hit lists” that allegedly identified asylum seekers’ accommodation and immigration-related businesses. Authorities believe much of the disorder was encouraged and coordinated online, with social media posts circulating personal information and anti-immigration messages. Minister Benn warned that the violence had created fear across Northern Ireland’s ethnic minority communities and said such behaviour could not be allowed to continue. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Hilary Benn,Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn,Belfast,Northern Ireland,anti-immigration riots,racist violence,racist thuggery,Police Service of Northern Ireland,PSNI,asylum seekers,immigration,ethnic minority communities
PersonInImage: