A nurse who moved to Belfast four years ago says she loves it here but says she no longer feels safe after recent racist violence on the streets since last weekend.
Susan Magutakuona, who moved to the north from Zimbabwe and works in Belfast City Hospital, addressed an anti-racism demonstration outside Stormont on Thursday as the Assembly was recalled to deal with the fallout from the disorder.
Hundreds of people from community and voluntary organisations attended to show their support for immigrants who have had their homes and businesses attacked during the disorder and those in the community now living in fear.
“It has been quite a hard time, very unpredictable and very scary,” Ms Magutakuona said.
“Northern Ireland has been the safest place for me for the past four years, but these last four weeks, I don’t know.
“I work in the City hospital and a lot of my colleagues live in that area where the trouble has been happening. I’m worried about whether I or my colleagues will be attacked on our way to or from work.
“I have a lot of support in work, we have a lot of support in the community, I don’t know where this is coming from really because our neighbours are supportive, our work colleagues are supportive.
“We don’t know where this is coming from or who is doing this. We just want to work.”
She added that the actions of “a few” had ruined the experience of migrants.
“I believe, even if many of you here have been welcoming to all the migrants and it’s been a good place to be, it’s just a few people who have been ruining this.
“We love Northern Ireland, it’s so peaceful it’s beautiful. We love it, but it’s just those few people who have just been ruining the good people.
“We’ve come to love it ever since I’ve been here, my colleagues love it. It’s just this last week and we hope it’s going to end soon. Thank you everyone for coming here and supporting us.”
