'A van was set alight and pushed towards my home'

Belfast experienced a second night of severe disorder, with homes being set on fire in the aftermath of a knife attack earlier in the week. Glengormley resident Paul Sharkey described the terrifying scene as masked men walked down his street, setting a van ablaze and pushing it towards his house. "It was terrifying," Sharkey told BBC News NI, adding that he barely slept. The unrest saw riot police deployed with water cannon to disperse crowds, facing attacks with bricks, bottles, and wood.

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It was terrifying. A van was set alight and pushed towards my home. I hardly slept a wink.

The violence extended to racist intimidation targeting healthcare workers. A nurse on her way to work at the Ulster hospital was chased by masked men, with her union, Unison, stating she was targeted simply for having a "different colour of skin." Patricia McKeown from Unison condemned the actions as "racism, pure and simple," urging leaders to take decisive action rather than just calling for calm. Health workers at Whiteabbey hospital also received threats, and staff living near Belfast City Hospital found letters warning them to leave or face their homes being burned.

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When we saw the call to arms on social media we knew our overseas members would be under threat. There is no excuse for any of this. This is racism, pure and simple.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt affirmed the vital contribution of international workers to the community. The intimidation followed a serious knife attack on Monday that left a man with severe injuries. Twasul Mohammed, a Sudanese resident of Belfast, reported that families fearful of reprisks had sought refuge in a church, with many being Sudanese nationals who have lived in Northern Ireland for years.

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We were horrified that a nurse on her way to work was chased and intimidated.