Sipho Sibanda, who moved from Zimbabwe to Northern Ireland around ten years ago, experiences apprehension for the first time while commuting to her job. Five days prior, she joined a private chat group comprising ethnic minorities who fear utilising public transport or taxis due to the recent racist violence in the city. She mentions that those working night shifts, particularly in hospitals, have grown afraid, resulting in them seeking transport from friends or known taxi drivers from their own ethnic communities.
In the wake of the city’s riots, the chat group was created where members shared their addresses, which Sibanda recognises as unsafe, in order to arrange by ethnicity-friendly pickups. She explains that the group is composed of numerous minorities including Muslims and black people who collectively question how to respond to their fear.
Sibanda, often seen outside the Parliament Buildings waving a large red trade union flag, partakes in protests against migrant attacks. She is a well-connected activist, having moved to Belfast with her young son.
A sense of unease is pervading the community. Sibanda expresses concern about her safety at work, noting uncertainty about who might support or oppose her, even among colleagues. If white colleagues remain silent on the issue, their stance remains unknown – a clear reflection of Northern Ireland’s current state.
During a protest, Sibanda phones a friend who is a nurse at a Belfast hospital, revealing her identical anxieties. Early in the week, the city’s largest NHS Trust, the Belfast Health Trust, confirmed that ten immigrant nurses were pondering leaving their jobs due to the turmoil.
A nurse from West Africa, who works in the emergency and cancer departments at the city’s two primary hospitals, confesses he feels threatened and has started avoiding groups of young men on the streets.
A 48-year-old gentleman from Gambia revealed that he had to alter his course of action today for fear of being assaulted, something he would have viewed as unthinkable in the past. Last weekend, the man was committed to working night shifts, only understanding the disruption when he endeavoured to buy groceries at his preferred ethnic grocery shop on Tuesday and found it burnt down.
Previous to this, the Sham Supermarket, located on Donegall Road in the southern part of Belfast, was targeted and ruined in an arsonist’s attack on Sunday evening, then illuminated once more on Monday.
The man, who chose not to disclose his identity due to fear, mentioned that he was oblivious to the events as his attention in the hospital focused primarily on patient survival, leaving no room to consider what was happening in the outside world. Furthermore, he lacks access to television.
Upon witnessing the rubble scattered about the public way, the seasoned healthcare professional voiced his reservations about persisting with his employment in Northern Ireland. The man expressed deep sorrow and anxiety, stating that the location of such an incident was a place he would frequent to make purchases. The man, a dedicated advocate of Belfast, had always praised its pleasant nature to his associates.
However, he now lives in fear, apprehensive about the potential threat that could present itself at any given moment.