The graffiti comes in the wake of a series of incidents in an escalating campaign of racial hatred
Slogans demanding “local housing for local people” were daubed on walls at Glenvale Street off the Woodvale Road in the east of the city during the week and similar graffiti appeared on Sandy Row on Friday morning.
The Sunday World understands the attacks, which have been designated hate crimes by the PSNI, are the work of elements within the UDA and UVF.
The east Belfast incident occurred close to the offices of a well-known estate agents. It was named in the graffiti and according to sources was targeted because it has let properties to foreign nationals.
The Sunday World contacted the company but no one was available for comment.
The Sandy Row graffiti comes in the wake of a series of incidents in an escalating campaign of racial hatred, including the targeting and burning of a shop owned by an Algerian national.
Hate crimes across the Sandy Row and neighbouring Donegall Pass areas have doubled in the last five years.
According to research carried out by The Detail, Botanic – which includes the two loyalist strongholds – routinely comes top of the list of areas in Northern Ireland with the highest number of race hate crimes.
Of the 880 race hate offences recorded in Northern Ireland in 2022/23, around one in six were recorded in Botanic.
Graffiti
The area has seen a series of attacks against immigrant-owned businesses over the summer.
One shop owner in the area, who is from an immigrant background, revealed loyalist paramilitaries tried to extort money following a race hate attack in November last year.
The victim, who was too frightened to be identified, said a man was arrested after he came into the shop and shouted racist abuse.
After the arrest, three men approached the owner, told them not to call police in future and tried to extract protection money.
Elsewhere, Mohammed Idris’s computer shop on Sandy Row in south Belfast was destroyed in an arson attack in September. In recent months several businesses owned by immigrants have been targeted.
Mr Idris, who is originally from Sudan, said his premises had been targeted in five attacks over two months – all of which were reported to police.
His shop had only recently moved to premises on Sandy Row after operating on Great Victoria Street for eight years without any issues.
“I lost everything, everything in that premises,” he said.
Mr Idris said he and other business owners from immigrant backgrounds felt unsafe.
Last night the PSNI confirmed they had received reports about race hate graffiti.
“Police received a number of reports of criminal damage in north Belfast on Tuesday, 5th December.
“Racist graffiti and stickers had been placed on two commercial premises and one residential address in the Woodvale Road / Glenvale Street area.
“It is believed that the incidents took place between 8pm and 8.30pm on that date.”
Chief Inspector Hagan said: “We are treating these reports as hate crimes. There is no place in our society for this type of behaviour and I would ask anyone with any information to contact police at Tennent Street on 101, quoting reference number 1805 of 05/12/23. Alternatively, you can report online at https://www.psni.police.uk/report or in confidence through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”