A night of terror and destruction left traumatized communities, burned homes and immigrant families forced to flee from groups of violent, masked protesters who attacked residential areas of the city. Several Romanians from Belfast, including children, expressed their desire to return to the country, after the houses of three families were vandalized following the incidents on the night of June 9.
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Cars and houses destroyed by fire in the Templemore area of Belfast PHOTO Profimedia
20 Romanian citizens from Belfast, including seven children, requested the help of the Romanian consulate in the context of the wave of violence that engulfed the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland.
They now say they want to return to the country and have confessed they are scared of the situation in Belfast after the houses of three Romanian families were vandalized.
“It all started as people just marching, young boys between the ages of 9 and 20. They were all dressed in black and had masks“, he declared for The Guardian Sumayah Nakazibwe, a carer from Uganda who, for four hours, was locked in her own house on a street where Romanians also live.
The crowd started burning the tires of a bus. “Then they collected the bins outside and started setting them on fire too. And we thought maybe it won’t escalate,” she added.
But the crowd headed for their street, where Romanian and Nigerian families live alongside British and Irish families.
“They started setting fire to cars, throwing Molotov cocktails. When the smoke started, it was coming straight towards our houses. So I called the police, I called the fire department”, Nakazibwe recounted.
Emergency services told them it was too dangerous to try to leave the building and suggested they change into janitors’ uniforms. The women were only able to be safely evacuated after the pastor of their church arrived on the scene and spoke with the violent protesters:
“There were about 20 guys, all masked, with bricks in their hands, and it looked like they were there for a fight, so I had to go and talk to them. I begged them to give me 10 minutes to get these women out and into my car. They gave me those 10 minutes. Some of them even threw the bricks on the floor, gave me their 10 minutes and let me get in their car.”
Romanian families targeted by attacks
On another street, a Romanian family was forced to leave their home. In front of the house was the wreckage of a burned car, which, according to the neighbors, belonged to the respective family. The windows of the building were broken or covered with boards.
Cars set on fire in Belfast PHOTO Profimedia
Neighbors mentioned that the home had been attacked twice in the past, most recently a few months ago.
“And they didn’t want to leave, so last night was the final straw“, said a neighbor.
On Tuesday night, the house was pelted with bricks and lighted fireworks were inserted through the mail slot in the door. Another neighbor helped the family escape after hooded men broke down the door.
“They were told to leave and were taken out twice but did not leave. It’s not our problem now, I’m not here anymore“, said the neighbor, noting that she does not know where the family was moved.
A local resident described the scenes:
“There was a crowd on the street, and the police… were literally driven off the street. How can you have guns and other equipment and have someone chase you off the street?“
Another neighbor said that houses where ethnic minority families lived were specifically targeted.
During the violence, many people left their homes, including Romanian citizens.
“With the children inside, with everything, he didn’t care. You realize they ran away, the poor people, where did they go. They saved the police… Hundreds, they all left”a Romanian from Northern Ireland told for ProTV news.
Another person added: “I didn’t leave the house, I was traumatized by the situation of our friends, who were attacked while they have two small children. They are two hard-working people, I have no words, they simply set fire to everything. They are in the hotel, they will leave tomorrow, because they haven’t found any plane tickets.”
In total, 60 Romanian families left home on Wednesday, some by plane, others by car, and others are expected to leave in the following days.
“We thought it was getting dark and they were going to set fire to our house”declared a Romanian.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informed, on Thursday, that all Romanian citizens who reported that they were victims of incidents of a violent nature in the context of the protests in Belfast received support from the local police or some relatives or friends and were temporarily relocated, either by the care of the local authorities, in specially arranged accommodation spaces, or at the residences of known persons, and are currently safe, reports Agerpres.
Regarding the total number of requests for consular assistance, from the outbreak of the crisis until now, the MAE, through the mentioned diplomatic missions and consular offices, managed six requests for consular assistance, which concerned a total number of 20 Romanian citizens, including 13 adults and 7 minors, plus one citizen of the European Union, a family member of a Romanian citizen. Some of them signaled their presence in relation to the Romanian diplomatic mission and consular offices and reported that their homes, cars or the headquarters of the commercial companies they own were affected.
House burned during the violence PHOTO Profimedia
In addition to permanent contact with the Consulate in Edinburgh and the Honorary Consul in Belfast, the Ambassador of Romania to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Laura Popescu, is in contact with Hilary Benn, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland in the Government in London.
The Consul General of Romania in Edinburgh traveled to Belfast on Thursday to meet with the affected families, requesting meetings including with the local authorities and the police force in Belfast.
Violence broke out on Tuesday and continued for a second straight night in the Northern Irish capital. Anti-immigration protesters set fire to vehicles and homes, forcing several families to flee their homes. Police had to use water cannons against masked demonstrators who threw bricks, stones and bottles.
