Syrian shop destroyed as owner says UK riots are 'like the warzone back home'
One member of Belfast's Syrian community said the rioters have left them feeling unsafe in the city.
Rioters destroyed a Syrian shop during their ramage through Belfast on Saturday as cities across the UK were hit with far-right violence.
Pictures showed the shop, located in Sandy Row south Belfast, severely damaged on the outside while the inside looks as though is has sustained damage from an arson attack.
The shop belongs to Abdelkader Al Alloush, who said after the attack that his business had been reduced to "ashes."
He told Irish News: "Everything we built is gone."
Sam Yousef, a member of Belfast’s Syrian community, said he is shocked by what has happened over the weekend.
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He said: “We are working hard, trying pay tax, trying to contribute to society.”
He added that Saturday’s violence “was a big alarm that something is not right”.
Mr Yousef continued: "They don’t want us to feel safe.
“It took us back to our home where we come from, the warzone in Syria. We thought when we came here we were going to be safe.
“But when we saw this, it made us feel completely unsafe again."
There was evidence of arson attacks elsewhere on the same street.
Mohammed Idris, a Sudanese business owner in Belfast, described how his cafe was also targeted by rioters.
He said: “It’s so sad and heartbreaking to see your business you established, put all your effort, your money into… Unfortunately, everything went down.
“Police trucks were everywhere here and people were burning the café. It’s strange.
“I saw someone holding wood and throw it inside and the police cars were here.”
On Saturday, riots were seen across the UK in major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Hull.
The chaos has now spread elsewhere on Sunday, with violence erupting in Rotherham.
Far-right thugs have broken into a hotel holding asylum seekers, gaining access after smashing a window.
Police forces across the UK have been stretched by the riots.
Merseyside Police said a total of 23 people were arrested. In Hull, Humberside Police said they had arrested 20 people.
In Bristol, police made 14 arrests because of violent disorder.
Lancashire Police said more than 20 people were arrested. Staffordshire Police said 10 people were arrested after clashes in Stoke-on-Trent.
The riots erupted after Axel Rudakubana was accused of killing three young girls in Southport on Monday. False claims online said the suspect in the case had links to Islam.
The 17-year-old comes from a Christian family. His parents are from Rwanda, and are heavily involved in their local church.
