Anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland linked to paramilitary groups

Belfast has seen a new kind of rioting. In early June, after a video of a knife attack by a black man on a white man went viral, mobs of masked men took to the streets. But unlike the old sectarian violence, the targets were not Catholics or Protestants. They were migrants and asylum seekers.

The violence was contained mostly to working class loyalist areas where migrants were known to live. A gang of five men tried to smash their way into a house where Kasim, a refugee from Yemen, was watching football with friends. Kasim, who now works as a delivery driver and studies part time, said the attack was not random. He fears for his family, including his four month old baby.

The riots were quickly marshalled. Calls to take to the streets were amplified on social media by Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson. One in five of those arrested was a child, the youngest just 12 years old. The Children's Commissioner for Northern Ireland said he had no doubt children were being exploited by agitators, including paramilitaries. He said he had seen children being transported into communities where they did not live, and described it as coercion and trafficking. He also said he had received death threats after speaking out.

The legacy of 30 years of conflict hangs over the violence. One expert pointed to murals celebrating past violence, saying young people look at that and think it is their turn now. Paramilitary groups still operate with impunity, according to local sources. Leaflets were distributed calling on people to disrupt traffic, wear masks, and turn off ring doorbells and dash cams.

Fear cuts both ways. Migrant families are terrified, but so are some local residents who want them out. Off camera, residents made unsubstantiated claims that foreigners get the best houses, phones, and cars from the state. But they said they could not speak openly because the paramilitaries who control the area would not like it. They warned that if migrant families moved back in, the masked mobs would return.

Attitudes towards immigration are hardening. Polling from More in Common showed that while the vast majority condemned the rioting, immigration is now one of the biggest issues across all communities. For unionists, it is the number one concern. Brian Kingston, a DUP politician in North Belfast, said people have legitimate concerns about abuse of the asylum system and pressure on social housing, but he insisted that in no way justifies violence. He too has been threatened after condemning the riots.

In Portrush, about 90 minutes from Belfast, a small but vocal anti immigration protest took place. One woman from Essex, Sarah White, said she did not support violence but said the country should fight back whatever way they see fit. She repeated false claims about migrants getting four star hotels and spending money. Another young mum said she feared for her children's safety, despite the fact that families with children had been burned out of their homes.

Community groups are trying to bridge the divide. At Annika, a support group in North Belfast, migrant and asylum seeking women meet to sew and talk. The city, divided for decades along sectarian lines, is now fracturing in new ways. The old peace walls still stand, but new enemy lines have been drawn.