The night people in Belfast fled their homes because of racist violence

The night people in Belfast fled their homes because of racist violence 2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Richard Morgan BBC News NI PA Media There have been pockets of disorder in Belfast and other towns across Northern Ireland Dozens of young people, masked and dressed in black, are burning bins in the street and thick black smoke fills the air. The sound of sirens grows louder as fire crews and ambulances arrive. A woman is shouting through a letterbox to friends inside a house: "The pastor is here, I promise you it is safe." This is north Belfast on a rainy Tuesday night, and it is chaos. The same scenes are playing out in other parts of Northern Ireland, where anti-immigration protests are being held. Many of them are peaceful but others have been hijacked by people intent on violence and destruction. I was part of the crew sent to the Crumlin Road, a predominately loyalist and working class part of Belfast, to report on the situation there. When we arrive, the police are keeping a bit of distance, watching but also trying to avoid becoming a target. We had been holding back from approaching the trouble until it felt safer, having been told at the other end of this long stretch of road to "leave, or you'll be next". Being a journalist, particularly a BBC journalist, this is nothing new during times of heightened tension. Pastor Jack McKee was helping families whose homes were targeted We move up towards the two streets of terraced houses which have become the focal point of the disorder. Two cars have been set alight, and homes are also burning. There's real concern about potential injuries, and the risk of a gas explosion. The torrential rain forces many of those who had gathered to disperse. Our team is trying not to get in the way, as we step over the fire hoses while also avoiding debris and broken glass. Fire officers want us to keep a distance, but we need to document what is happening on the streets of Belfast. I speak to the woman who is shouting through the letterbox of a house with smashed windows. She tells me her friends are inside, and they are trapped, terrified. The house behind theirs is on fire. A group of African women are led to safety - one of them collapses into the arms of firefighters. The ordeal of the last few hours has taken its toll. She is placed into the back of a waiting car; the others are able to walk to the vehicle. What we know about how Northern Ireland's riots were organised I will never get over watching my home of 13 years burn down What the data does and doesn't tell us about asylum seekers in Northern Ireland Pastor Jack McKee, from the nearby New Life City Church, is part of the rescue mission. As he is tending to those members of his congregation he has helped to safety, I take the opportunity to speak to him. He is furious. "These members have been with us for 20 years. They've been put out of their home," he tells me. "They are good Christian people and they are getting put out just