A BELFAST pastor who assisted those who resided in houses burned down last night said people were being targeted “because they're black”.
People were forced to flee their homes and multiple cars and homes were set alight in the disorder on Tuesday which followed Monday’s knife attack in the north of the city.
The 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill.
He is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.
Following widespread condemnation of the incident, demonstrations took place across Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening, with a number descending into disorder.
Pastor Jack McKee spoke on Crumlin Road in north Belfast and said some members of his church "who have been with us for 20 years" were "getting put out of their home, had their house attacked, windows smashed, houses beside them burned".
"They're good Christian people and they're getting put out just because they're black," he said.
"I'm doing my best to help them, it's as simple as that."
McKee added that "obviously we're all disgusted" after Monday night's attack "but this doesn't help anyone."
"Men, women, children that are living in fear because of what some idiot did last night.
"I'm angry and I'm disappointed that this is the response of people in our community."
On the Lower Newtownards Road, masked men set bins on fire and shouted "foreigners out".
The group were also regularly setting cars on fire. The BBC reported seeing a woman coming out of her home and telling the group that one car belonged to a "local and not a foreigner" and so they stopped.
A man whose house in Belfast was “completely” destroyed during disorder in Belfast last night said he lost “sentimental” items in the fire, including items belonging to his late father.
Jamie Corry, who has lived on Lendrick Street for 13 years, said there were cars parked near his house that were targeted last night.
“I came out that door and I told them: ‘This is my property, this is my property here,’ and then they started to light the red car up,” he told press.
“So once I saw the flames starting to get bigger and bigger, I moved away from my property, I moved down the street there and watched it all. The next minute the cars started to explode, the doors started smoking, the windows started melting, and the next thing the house was going to go up on fire.”
He said he has been in the property on Wednesday morning and said his possessions are destroyed, including items belonging to his late father.
“It’s destroyed, top to bottom it’s completely destroyed,” he said.
Asked what happens next, he said he would go to the Housing Executive and tell them what’s happened: “I don’t know where to start. I’m just glad my family, my kids were around at my missus’ house at the time.”
A Ukrainian family also had to be moved from a nearby house. They fled to Northern Ireland from the Ukrainian war.
Anselme Shima, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been living Belfast since 2013. He, his wife, two sons and daughter live near Lendrick Street where cars were set alight on Tuesday night and are scared their house could be “the next to be attacked”.
“I’ve lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, but last night was a horrific one,” he told press.
“Whenever my kids were asking me: ‘Daddy what is that noise?’ Where is that smoke from?’ We rushed to close the windows because of the smoke coming from the bus and then this street was on fire.
“My kids kept asking me: ‘Daddy, what is happening?’ I didn’t know what to tell them, so I put the news on for them to see for themselves. My son was asking me: ‘Daddy, are we OK?’ and I said: ‘Let’s pray to see what god will do to us tonight.’
“Now I’m asking: should I send them to school or should I keep them home?”
He added: “It’s just a terrifying moment, we don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Seeing this, I’m wondering if I’m next. If this happened (again) is my house the next to be attacked? I don’t know. So it’s a very scary moment.”
The violence has been heavily condemned.
"What you're seeing is a race-based pogrom. We are seeing men going door to door asking to get the foreigners out based exclusively on the colour of their skin," Claire Hanna, Belfast MP and leader of the Social Democratic & Labour Party said during the violence last night.
"It's not based on what they're contributing to society, what their status here is and it's terrifying for people in Belfast who want this sort of politics to be far beyond them."
