PSNI deploying extra officers to East Belfast due to ‘vigilante patrolling’

“Such activity is not protecting this community, it is attempting to control it. It is racism pure and simple.”

Additional officers will be deployed to East Belfast amid recent “vigilante patrolling” in the area, police have confirmed.

On Sunday, August 10, at around 11pm, police attended a protest outside a property in the Ravenhill Road area. No arrests were made, and a crowd dispersed without incident.

Last week, videos emerged on social media showing groups of men “patrolling” the area and confronting members of the public. Police have said they “will not tolerate any type of vigilante activity” and has called for those involved to stop.

READ MORE: Police hit out at ‘vigilante activity’ after Belfast incidentREAD MORE: East Belfast ‘vigilante’ warning issued after videos appear online

District Commander Superintendent Gavin Kirkpatrick said: “We are aware of a number of videos circulating on social media of groups of men ‘patrolling’ east Belfast streets and confronting members of the public. I am very concerned about the actions of these groups.

“Their own videos show them stopping, searching and intimidating wholly innocent people, apparently based on nothing more than the colour of their skin.

“Such activity is not protecting this community, it is attempting to control it. It is racism pure and simple.

“I want to encourage anyone who has been confronted by these groups to come forward and report it to police. We will robustly deal with any offences reported to us.

“We will not tolerate any type of vigilante activity and I caution anyone involved in such ‘patrolling’ to stop. It is the responsibility of the Police Service to enforce the law in Northern Ireland.

“In the coming days we will be deploying additional officers to East Belfast to provide reassurance to the public and monitor the activity of these groups.”

Commenting on reports of vigilantism, Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime NI Geraldine Hanna said: “I have been sickened and deeply troubled by the videos we have seen online and, in the media, showing people being harassed on the street in Belfast due to the colour of their skin.

“My first thoughts are with those who have been accosted simply because they are in a public space and not white. I can only imagine their terror at being confronted and demonised by these gangs.

“Gangs, with no right or legal reason, stopping people who are of a different race to them and demanding to see their papers is something from an Orwellian nightmare.

“These chilling incidents are also potentially racially motivated hate crimes, creating more victims, and I trust the police will do everything in their power to curb these groups and investigate where a hate crime may have been committed.

“There are many things that need to be done to better protect and support victims of crime, this is not one of them. The gangs who are carrying out this harassment have no right to claim authority over our streets.

“They create victims, breed fear, and there is no justification for them taking it upon themselves to go about harassing and intimidating people.

“We have a criminal justice system for a reason and if anyone has concerns about suspicious activity or law breaking, they should contact the police.”

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