‘Scared’ nurse will leave Northern Ireland

A nurse in Belfast has said she will leave Northern Ireland when her contract is finished because of recent disorder.

The staff nurse from India, who has asked to remain anonymous, told BBC News NI she was scared and families are really frightened.

It comes after a number of businesses in south Belfast were targeted during violent protests.

“I’m frightened to come to the hospital for work,” the nurse said.

“I’m not going out; I’m working, and we are all frightened.

“We can’t go out shopping. It’s scary to go out with children. It’s really terrifying.”

The nurse, who has been here for two and a half years, said she chose Northern Ireland because there were jobs available, but says she will not stay any longer than she has to.

“When my contract is finished, I will go back to my country. I will go back to India,” she said.

“It’s not normal here, and we don’t have support, just some friends and colleagues, but that’s it.”

Speaking about the attacks, she said she didn’t understand why they were happening.

“I don’t know exactly what their motive is. In my point of view, I treat everyone equally, and I don’t know why they aren’t treating us equally.

“Maybe I’ve just helped your grandfather, and we are doing our job, and I wonder why this is happening and why we are targeted.”

John Maxwell, Belfast Trust’s medical director, said it condemns any violence and threats towards staff.

“We recruit many international staff over a thousand nurses from international recruitment and we desperately need to keep them,” he said.

“We will support them as best we can and we would encourage staff to report issues to the PSNI but also to ourselves at the trust.”

Jihen, a business owner in Belfast said that ten people were inside her restaurant when it was stoned during the violence at the weekend.

“Most of my staff Muslim, I am Muslim, but this is not reason to attack because of their religion or background” she said.

“I am 11 years here, by kids are from here.”

“People start leaving, they are scared,” she added, “but me I can’t, all my savings are here.”

“[The police] advised us to close Friday because they are same protest again.

“If we keep closing every weekend, how my business work? Who will pay my bills?”

The butcher at a supermarket targeted during the disorder has said the business has “lost everything”.

Jamal Ghabes, who works at Sham Supermarket on the Donegall Road, came to Northern Ireland from Syria three years ago.

“It’s all gone, we’ve lost everything, we have zero,” he said.

“I don’t feel safe here, but my country is not safe either.”

The supermarket was targeted during Saturday night’s disorder, which broke out after an anti-immigration protest in the city.

Attempts were also made to torch the business on Monday night but officers were able to put the small fire out before it spread.

Mr Ghabes said he did not know if he wanted to remain living in Northern Ireland.

There has been violent disorder in towns and cities across the UK since last Tuesday, the day after three young girls were killed in Southport.

False claims on social media followed that someone who had arrived in the UK illegally was to blame.

A representative from the Belfast Islamic Centre, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC News NI that his community was feeling “quite vulnerable”.

“People are not feeling safe at all,” he said, adding some women and children were fearful of going outside and were worried about using public transport.

He said the centre had a constant police presence at the moment and 24-hour private security, but he knows that is not sustainable.

“We want the madness to stop and allow people to get back to their normal lives.”

He said anti-immigration concerns should be voiced towards the government, not individual communities.

“Sadly the people who are trying to make a living, they are being affected,” he said.

“Some of them have actually lost their entire lives back in their home countries before they decide to move here and now they are getting attacked as well. It’s really a difficult situation.”

He acknowledged the current situation was “incredibly challenging” for the police and called for a community effort to help resolve the situation.

Police came under sustained attack and the victim of a suspected hate crime is in a serious condition in hospital after violence broke out on Monday night.

Witnesses reported seeing attackers stamp on a man’s head, while members of the public tried to shield him.

Multiple petrol bombs, masonry and bricks were thrown towards police.

Petrol was also poured over a Land Rover and set alight.

Assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said “upwards of 100 people were involved” in the disorder.

Officers discharged two baton rounds, with one person struck on the hand.

ACC Jones told BBC News NI they had “a calming effect”.

She added that baton rounds were also used during disorder Saturday, which was the first time in a number of years.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and remains in police custody.

Earlier on Monday, four men were charged in relation to Saturday’s disorder.