An attack on a man whose head was stomped on in south Belfast as anti-immigration disorder erupted for a second time in the city appears to have been prompted by “nothing more than a man’s ethnicity”.
The victim, who is in his 50s, was set upon on Monday night by a group of people in the Donegall Road area, close to the junction with Oban Street.
Witnesses said the attackers stamped on the man’s head before members of the public rushed in to shield him from further attack, police said.
The man remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday, and police are treating the attack as a hate crime.
The assault occurred on a night when youths in the nearby Sandy Row area confronted police, throwing petrol bombs and masonry at officers, while an attempt was made to set fire to a supermarket that had already been damaged in an arson attack on Saturday.
Although unprovoked racist assaults on individuals have been reported in England since the outbreak of disorder last week, it is understood the attack in Oban Street was the first of its kind in the north since trouble erupted on Saturday.
South Belfast and Mid Down MP Claire Hanna told the Irish News: “This is a particularly disturbing attack and it gives a lie to the ‘legitimate concerns’ defence of this spate of violence and intimidation.
“This appears to be a direct racist attack, prompted by nothing more than a man’s ethnicity and by people who are unwilling or unable to accept difference.”
She added: “I’ve spoken to a lot of minority ethnic people and businesses over the last few days and this has clearly had a serious impact on their sense of safety.
“Decent, hardworking and positive people who are contributing daily across our city are being intimated by disinformation and thuggery, carried out by people who have no record of contributing to change, regeneration and public services in our city.”
Sinn Féin South Belfast MLA Deirdre Hargey condemned the “brutal” assault, calling the wider scenes of violence “absolutely deplorable”.
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“Those involved in these racist and disgusting attacks must face the full force of the law, and I would encourage anyone with information to contact the PSNI,” she said.
“Belfast is a shared and inclusive city. There is no place for racism or these kinds of disgraceful attacks on our minority communities.”
Director of Amnesty International in Northern Ireland, Patrick Corrigan, said the attack victim “escaped with his life by the closest of margins”.
“If it was not for the actions of a few local residents, the outcome could have been tragically different,” he told the Irish News.
“As it is, this man has suffered serious injuries and will undoubtedly take a long time to recover from the physical and mental trauma of this vicious attack.
“The police have a huge responsibility in the coming days to protect the right to life, and to uphold the human rights of all in our community to live their lives free of violence and intimidation.”
