Indian families fear for safety as Belfast riots turn violent, store set on fire

According to reports, rioters set fire to an under-construction Indian grocery store in north Belfast, raising concerns among immigrant communities about their safety and future in the region.

The unrest erupted days after a 30-year-old Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder in connection with a brutal knife attack in Northern Ireland.

Reacting to the attack on a former gospel hall on Shankill Road, Dr Satyavir Singhal, chairman of the Indian Community Centre and a consultant doctor, said he would be willing to engage in dialogue with those responsible.

"If they feel in some way that it will harm the area, we can sit and talk together," Dr Singhal told the BBC.

"There are no issues on this planet that cannot be solved by talking to each other," he added.

Dr Singhal said the violence has left many members of the Indian community deeply shaken.

"People are scared," he said. "I personally am hurt and deeply saddened by the incident."

Having lived in Northern Ireland for the past 25 years, Dr Singhal noted that the Indian community has been an integral part of the region for decades.

"The Indian community has been here since the 1930s and we've been living and working together. There has never been a problem like this," he said.

The Indian-origin owner of the targeted grocery store, who has lived in Northern Ireland for 18 years and recently purchased the property to start a business, said he was left heartbroken by the attack.

Meanwhile, Biji Jose of the Northern Ireland Indian Nurses Forum warned that some members of the Indian community may consider leaving Northern Ireland in the wake of the violence.

She said several junior colleagues had contacted her expressing concerns about their safety.

"At the minute, I can see very anxious faces and too much worry about their families, children, future jobs and insecurity about walking around the streets freely like before," Jose told the BBC.

"People sometimes think we are here to take their jobs. No, that is not the case," she added.

One Indian-origin resident of north Belfast said he had already decided to leave Northern Ireland following Tuesday night's violence.

"We're leaving right now," he told the BBC.

Belfast Riots

Large-scale anti-immigration protests broke out across Belfast on Tuesday after a Sudanese national was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in the city.

Masked protesters took to the streets in several neighbourhoods, setting houses, vehicles, barricades and a bus on fire. The violence caused widespread disruption and heightened tensions across the city.

The unrest also spread to the neighbouring town of Newtownabbey, where demonstrators reportedly set two cars ablaze.

Smaller protests were reported in other cities across the UK, including Bangor, Glasgow and London.

Belfast Knife Attack

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a Sudanese national remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder following a knife attack in north Belfast.

The victim, a man in his 40s, sustained serious injuries during the assault on Canard Avenue on Monday.

Police recovered a kitchen knife from the scene. According to Detective Chief Superintendent Ryan Henderson, the victim suffered severe injuries to his eyes as well as serious wounds to his face and back. He remains in a serious condition in hospital.

According to CNN, the suspect arrived in Ireland from Paris and entered Northern Ireland in February 2023. He subsequently applied for asylum and was granted permission to remain in the United Kingdom until 2028.

Authorities have said there is currently no evidence linking the knife attack to terrorism, and investigations remain ongoing.