UK Minister Condemns Belfast Riots as Racist Thuggery

Police deployed water cannon for a second consecutive night to disperse rioters in Belfast on Wednesday, though the disorder was less severe than on Tuesday.

The violence erupted after a Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack. Rioters targeted ethnic minorities, setting homes and vehicles on fire. On Wednesday, some demonstrators attempted to reach a hotel outside Belfast that had previously housed asylum seekers and been the focus of earlier protests.

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn rejected suggestions that the incidents amounted to legitimate protest. "Well, if you are targeting people on the basis of the color of their skin, how else can you describe them? That is racist thuggery", he told Sky News.

Benn warned that the violence had caused significant fear among Northern Ireland's ethnic minority communities. He cited reports of people being stopped and questioned about their nationality, as well as concerns among nurses and other workers, describing the situation as "appalling".

(reuters, est)